My recent favorite #tctheater holiday* tradition is the
Christmas at Pemberley plays, a series of three plays by Lauren Gunderson (one of the most produced playwrights in the country, often writing plays about women in history, particularly in STEM) and Margot Melcon. The Jungle Theater produced all three of these plays beginning in 2017, and even co-commissioned two of them. Lyric Arts has picked up the tradition the last few years, culminating in the third play this season. Each of these plays focuses on a different Bennet sister or two, but they're all similar in their sparkling dialogue that feels both period appropriate and refreshingly modern, their centering of women in the story (continuing the legacy of Jane Austen), their fleshing out of characters who didn't get much space in the original novel, and their charming romances complete with obstacles to be overcome, just like all good Austen heroines. With
Georgiana and Kitty we get not one but two new Austen heroines to love and root for in their pursuit of love, art, purpose, and happiness.** Lyric's production is an absolute delight, and I hope that they continue to cycle through these three plays for years to come! But for now, you can
visit Pemberley Thursdays through Sundays until December 22.
