Our final production of the 2024 season is Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. The play is a kind of spin-off to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Rest assured, you don’t need to have read the novel or seen an adaptation of it to enjoy the production. Yet, we thought it would be fun to host a 30-day read along of this beloved classic right before we open the delightful holiday romantic comedy.
Hello, everyone!
I’m Tim, and I’m a member of the professional resident ensemble at the Commonweal Theatre Company. You may have seen me on stage (this season I was Kelvin in Ugly Lies the Bone, and I’m playing Ken in Rumors). I also do a bit of work behind-the-scenes on the Marketing Team–working on social media, copy-writing, and other areas to help spread the word about the wonderful storytelling we love to share with you.
I love stories. I love language. I love books.
But I have a confession to make.
I have never read a bit of Jane Austen before. I’ve never performed in a Jane Austen adaptation for the theatre, either. (I have seen a number of her film and television adaptations). But still, to this day, I have never cracked open her books.
That changes this fall.
The Commonweal Theatre’s final production of the 2024 season is Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. They have crafted a new holiday classic by writing a sequel or spin-off of sorts to Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice.
Having read the play a few times, I will go on record saying that if you have absolutely no connection to Pride and Prejudice, you needn’t worry. Your understanding of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley doesn’t rely on having read or seen Pride and Prejudice before. Rest assured.
But, maybe, just maybe, your enjoyment of the production could deepen.
And if nothing else, maybe this is the chance you finally get around to reading a classic, and you won’t be alone!
So, from October 15 through November 15, I invite you to read Pride and Prejudice with me. This book is in the public domain, so you can read it for free online, or pick up your favorite edition at a bookstore. (I picked up this paperback edition.)
Since we’ll all be working with different editions, there’s no way to track page numbers. But, I’ve created a schedule to read, on average, 2 chapters a day. According to my edition, it’s usually around 10-15 pages a day. At the end of each week, I’ll post some reflections, favorite passages, and questions right here on this blog. I’ll invite you to play along in the comments or on social media posts on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Think of it as a low-key, no pressure digital book club. I’ll check back in when we get closer to Oct. 15. In the meantime, track down your favorite edition and get ready for what I hear is a witty, rich, and sweeping story.
Here’s a description of the book from the publishers at Oxford World Classics:
Pride and Prejudice, one of the most famous love stories of all time, has also proven itself as a treasured mainstay of the English literary canon. With the arrival of eligible young men in their neighbourhood, the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five daughters are turned inside out and upside down… Misconceptions and hasty judgements bring heartache and scandal, but eventually lead to true understanding, self-knowledge, and love.
It’s almost impossible to open Pride and Prejudice without feeling the pressure of so many readers having known and loved this novel already. Will you fail the test – or will you love it too? As a story that celebrates more unflinchingly than any of Austen’s other novels the happy meeting-of-true-minds, and one that has attracted the most fans over the centuries, Pride and Prejudice sets up an echo chamber of good feelings in which romantic love and the love of reading amplify each other.
I’m excited to have you read along with me!
Great idea! I’ve read it but it’s been decades. What a great way to motivate me to read it AND see the production!