Modern English; Portland Center Stage Presents Thoughtfully Crafted Version of Classic Austen Novel

Summary

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Converting a beloved novel into a movie or play means finding the right space between expectations and aspirations.

Familiarity doesn't have to be baggage. Neither does popularity. The challenge in such a case -- and this is where the goal often gets too weighty on either side -- is to create a relatively loose environment in which the audience can maintain ideas about the original material while the performing artists get to interpret and play with the content enough to be engaging and invigorating. The end result should be broadening rather than constricting or leading to quibbles, and Seattle's Book-It Repertory Theatre has made such tricky adaptation its business.

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Modern English; Portland Center Stage Presents Thoughtfully Crafted Version of Classic Austen Novel

That 15-year-old company essentially has transported its hit version of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" to the Newmark Theatre for Portland Center Stage, bringing along the Seattle group's co-artistic director, Jane Jones, to lea...

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