SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is the Latest Play to Cause a Stir in Vancouver
It’s not easy to find love. It doesn’t always come when you want it and can hit you when you least expect it. Arts Club’s latest production of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is a depiction of the ups and downs of love. Even if it can be a roller coaster, it is worth an experience in the end! Set on the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage from March 2nd to April 2nd, this Modern Stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel will keep you wanting to know more!
Originally slated for the 2020-2021 Arts Club season, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY finally took the stage for their opening night in Vancouver last week. Despite being a 19th-century tale, Kate Hamill’s stage adaptation of Austen’s novel is a more modern take on it. Hamill’s stage version of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY underscores the importance of sisterhood and brings youthful glow to an old, complicated love story.
The play focuses on the Dashwood sisters and their lives after the death of their father, Mr. Dashwood. With their estates given to their half-brother John, 3 sisters: Elinor, Marianne and Margaret, along with their widowed mother, are forced to move to a more modest estate in Barton College. Here the oldest sisters Elinor and Marianne experience love, heartbreak and betrayal. From meeting new people to reconnecting with people from their past, the sisters find solace in supporting one another despite the emotional turmoil they experience with the men around them. With Elinor’s “sensitive” nature and Marianne’s “sensitive” nature, viewers are taken through two completely different stories, intertwined in moments of true emotion.
Photo: The cast of Sense and Sensibility, 2023: set design by Shizuka Kai; costume design by Jacqueline Firkins; lighting design by Itai Erdal; Photo by Moonrider Productions for the Arts Club Theater Company
What makes this show so compelling is the affiliation of the characters in it. Because each sister represents a different aspect of human nature, people often find themselves relating to one character at the beginning and then switch back and forth between the two or end up relating to both. The two main actresses, Nyiri Karakas (Elinor) and Amanda Sum (Marianne), effectively represent the “meaning and sensitivity” approaches to love through their contrasting approaches to their character. Karakas has a very mature way of portraying Elinor. Rational with very few moments of weakness, Karakas gives off a very powerful performance on stage. Sum’s version of Marianne is very youthful. While a little too carefree at times, her approach to her character was just what audiences needed to see both sides of SENSE AND SENSITIVITY.
The running time of the show was about 2 hours and 35 minutes with an intermission. Although it was very long and dragged on at times, the play’s long duration allowed for good character development and more subtleties in the plot. Directed by Rachel Peake with sets by Shizuka Kai and costumes by Jacqueline Firkins, the entire show was well put together. Everything complemented and moved very smoothly. The show consisted of a cast of 10 members who often played 3-4 (or more) roles on stage. It was confusing at times if you weren’t paying attention; However, when it came to the main characters, it was pretty basic.
Photo: The cast of Sense and Sensibility, 2023: set design by Shizuka Kai; costume design by Jacqueline Firkins; lighting design by Itai Erdal; Photo by Moonrider Productions for the Arts Club Theater Company
Whether you’re a Jane Austen fan or not, the show was an interesting and worthwhile watch. Because the complexities of the subject may be more appreciative and easier to follow for a more mature audience, that doesn’t mean the show is limited to any particular type of theatergoer. The quality of Arts Club productions is always first class. Whatever the subject, they always put on a great show. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is another item to add to this list. Be sure to check it out before it closes on April 2nd.
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY plays at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Theater in Vancouver from March 2nd to April 2nd. Tickets start at $35 and are available by clicking the link below.
The playing times are as follows:
Tue-Thu at 7:30 p.m., Fri & Sat at 8 p.m., Wed at 1:30 p.m. and Sat & Sun at 2 p.m
Sunday Salon: Sunday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m
Talkback Tuesday: Tue, March 21 at 7:30 p.m
VocalEye performances: Sunday, March 26 at 2 p.m. and Friday, March 31 at 8 p.m