The front porch of the duCret School in Plainfield will be transformed into a English Regency-era family home when Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center presents outdoor performances of Pride and Prejudice August 19-21. Lizzy will see Darcy as she climbs the stairs to the porch. Mr. Collins will wander in the gardens with Charlotte, and Jane and Bingley will dance under the trees in the soft August breeze.
Dragonfly, a nonprofit theatre company dedicated to diverse stories and casts, is once again presenting a summer series of plays at duCret School of the Arts in Plainfield. Pride and Prejudice is the second play of the three-play series, and is an irreverent adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel by esteemed playwright and actress Kate Hamill. This program is made possible in part by a 2022 HEART (History, Education, Arts Reaching Thousands) Grant from the Union County Board of County Commissioners.
This hilarious version of the beloved story explores the absurdities and thrills of finding your perfect (or imperfect) match in life. The outspoken Lizzy Bennet is determined never to marry, despite mounting pressure from society and from her mother, who worries about the family finances. But, when in walks that vaguely handsome, mildly amusing, and impossibly aggravating Mr. Darcy, Lizzy is thrown! Other characters include a mumbling heiress, a synonym-spouting minister, and a coughing sister prone to pop up at the most unexpected moments. Literature’s greatest tale of latent love has never felt so theatrical, or so full of life, and so funny than it does in this effervescent adaptation.
The cast includes Dragonfly newcomer Jolé Antoinette of Edison as Lizzy, Dragonfly alumni Elena Marie Abdou of Monroe Township as Mrs. Bennet, Kelly Branco of Colonia as Charlotte, Craig Mayer of Plainfield as Mr. Bennet, Corey Mosley of North Plainfield as Mr. Darcy, and Tim O’Connor of Plainfield as Mr. Collins, along with other talented actors. The creative team is made up of director and Dragonfly Artistic Director Catherine LaMoreaux of Metuchen, assistant director Asia McKnight of Newark, stage crew chief Aidan O’Rourke of Colonia, and stage manager Jada Davis of Iselin.
Pride & Prejudice will be performed Friday, August 19 at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, August 20 at 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday, August 21 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are available at https://www.dragonflyartsnj.org/purchase-tickets and at the venue. Friday and Sunday performances will be outdoors at duCret School of the Arts, 1030 Central Avenue, Plainfield. The Saturday performance is in the duCret auditorium. Attendees should bring their own chairs for the Friday and Sunday shows. In the event it rains, the performance will be moved indoors to duCret’s auditorium. Tickets are $20.00 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. Visit the Dragonfly web site at DragonflyArtsNJ.com for more information or call 908-930-3210.
