By Anne Flinders, dramaturg
The cast of BYU’s Pride and Prejudice has been in rehearsals for over a month, working together four nights a week and Saturdays. With that much time together, friendships are developing on social media as well as on the rehearsal floor.
Here is a sampling of Facebook posts from the cast, staff and fans. [Names in bold are the names of the people who made the posts.]
Laurie Koralewski Payne: Tra-la!! Marvin Payne will be playing Mr. Bennett in the fabulous Melissa Leilani Larson’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice directed by the also fabulous Barta Lee Heiner at BYU this season! What could possibly be more awesome than that?
Misty Flinders: I started rehearsals today! I’m playing Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s dog Pippa in BYU’s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
Melissa Leilani Larson: It’s Pippa Wentworth. For the record.
Misty: Pippa Wentworth Fitzwilliam de Bourgh. 😉
Misty Flinders (Pippa Wentworth Fitzwilliam de Bourgh) and Hillary Andrus Straga (Lady Catherine de Bourgh)
Hillary Andrus Straga: I amused myself on the drive home by reciting my Lady Catherine lines in my best Jennifer Tilly impersonation. I was “charmed, charmed, charmed.”
Melissa Leilani Larson: Meet the Bennets.
Back row: Aubrey Reynolds (Jane Bennet), Laura Wardle (Mrs. Bennet), Marvin Payne (Mr. Bennet), Karli Hall (Elizabeth Bennet). Front row: Pearl Corry (Mary Bennet), Lindsay Clark (Lydia Bennet), Cosette Hatch (Kitty Bennet)
Lindsay Clark: “Humidity is a refreshing trait in a gentleman.” #misreadlines
Melissa Leilani Larson: Laughter in this rehearsal room always seems to melt into coughing. New title: BYU presents PRIDE AND THE PLAGUE.
Many cast members shared a version of this post: In the rehearsal room: a chalkboard character map of Pride and Prejudice:
A picture of the playwright’s “Command Center” as Melissa Leilani Larson revises during rehearsal…
Melissa Leilani Larson: If Lydia Bennet were here today, I would admire two things about her: 1) her tenacity and 2) her Pinterest page.
Lindsay Clark: She’d have a board devoted entirely to bonnets.
Becky Maskell: When you show up to rehearsal in coordinating colors it only means one thing…family portrait!
Becky Maskell (Anne de Bourgh), Ted Bushman (Mr. Darcy) and Hillary Straga (Lady Catherine de Bourgh).
Melissa Leilani Larson: The regiment is leaving for Brighton. Sad day.
Lindsay Clark (Lydia Bennet) and Cosette Hatch (Kitty Bennet)
Ted Bushman: Purple was the order of the day for the cast of Pride and Prejudice. That’s my aunt, and that girl I dig, and her sister.
Hillary Andrus Straga (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), Aubrey Reynolds (Jane Bennet), Karli Hall (Elizabeth Bennet) and Ted Bushman (Mr. Darcy).
Becky Maskell: I’m scheduled for another costume fitting next week! Real silk…custom made dress…just for me! This is so exciting guys!!!!!!!!!!
Hillary Andrus Straga: Hey, Ted! Where’s that purple picture?
Ted Bushman: Look up.
Hillary Andrus Straga: Lizzy and Jane [far left] cuttin’ a rug.
Karli Hall (Elizabeth Bennet) and Aubrey Reynolds (Jane Bennet)
And Pearl Corry made a Lapse-It video: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1397855047142036
Lindsay Clark: Getting ready to run through Act 2 of Pride and Prejudice tonight. Have we really almost blocked the whole show? #timetostartmemorizing
Cast members are posting on media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can follow them at #BYUPandP.