There’s something special about a live, lights-up performance of Jane Austen’s novels; even if you know the characters and the stories by heart, there’s a special thrill having them come to life before your very eyes, just a few feet from where you sit. And as they take turns pleading their case, directly to you, you have the power to respond to them — with applause, with nodding and shaking heads, even with invective, as you please.
With the American Shakespeare Center’s current production of Sense and Sensibility, newly adapted by Emma Whipday with Brian McMahon, you have an unprecedented opportunity to get up close and personal with the likes of Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, two sisters not the least bit alike in temperament but who must face together the trials of being deliberately dispossessed by their closest relatives. As they navigate, men arrive, men leave, and — here’s the thrill — men propose too!
Director Jemma Alix Levy is aware of the vast differences between Austen’s time and our own, and crafts an evening that gives you the opportunity to see your own journey in these characters — the shy young women and men, accustomed to being passed over; the brassy young men, the arrogant ones who damage others but who (in this story, at least) get their comeuppance. It’s amazing what a difference it makes when these characters are close enough to touch, because their relatability, 200 years on, reminds us why Austen is still one of our most popular authors.
As the long-suffering Dashwood sisters, Corrie Green (Marianne) and Sara J. Griffin (Elinor) create the kind of sibling rivalry, and the personal chemistry, that should come as no surprise to Austen fans — and sisters in the audience alike. Green’s passion and her absolute, metaphysical certainties, which are due to be tested in short order, contrast perfectly with Griffin’s reserved, sober eye on the world. Elinor’s reserve, in particular, is as discreet as it is riveting, as she quietly endures love and loss. Keep your eyes on Griffin, because it is the resolve to keep her feelings well hid that defines Elinor, with only the slightest gleam in the eye to tell you what’s really going on inside her head.
We’ll get to the guys in a minute, but first: Raven Lorraine is an absolute standout, tackling two truly conniving, gold-digging women with all the arrogance and self-assurance you might expect. As Fanny Dashwood, who deliberately impoverishes Elinor and Marianne, Lorraine is decked gloriously in black by Costume Designer Elizabeth Wislar. The costume and the actor are a perfect match, as we see her whittle away the girls’ inheritance to next to nothing. And her return as Lucy Steele — ever hungry for a man’s dough — is just as delicious and just as vicious. (Those boo’s and hisses you hear are no mistake, people.)
There is, of course, a true cad in the mix – John Willoughby, played here with deceptive charm by Komi M. Gbeblewou. This is just the sort of rake called for, dashing in appearance (again, thanks to Wislar), with confidence to spare, but utterly self-absorbed. When Willoughby’s abuses finally catch up with him, and he is reduced to pleading his case before Elinor — Marianne, the innocent girl he jilted, can’t stand to be near him — we feel no sympathy for him whatsoever. Don’t be surprised if, in addition to the boo’s and hisses, one hears someone utter insults his way as he makes his final, pathetic, departure (“Jerk!” was distinctly heard the night I was there).
Now for the good guys — you know, the ones you always ignore at first, but who turn out to have hearts of gold? Yeah, those fellas. Geoffrey Warren Barnes II’s turn as Edward Ferrars is nicely done, the shyness and the eagerness to please, the desperation never to offend (upended by the entrance of Miss Steele, see above), all endear him to us, and the resolution of his search for a mate is, of course, happily concluded. Barnes’ turn as Sir John Middleton reminds us, too, that he can do bold and brassy with the best of ’em as well.
Meanwhile, in Jordan Friend, we have a fine Colonel Brandon, the “old man” of the bunch, completely irrelevant at first, of course, but once he has an opportunity to show his kindness, the wall between Brandon and his intended dissolves into a very happy ending indeed.
This being a Shakespeare company, it is a real treat to see the passages the cast chooses to highlight as part of the action — Marianne being passionate for the plays, has two different reading partners at different points, and chances are you’ll be quite familiar with the scenes they choose to read aloud for us.
The festivities get off to a truly rollicking start in the pre-show, with Barnes’ take on Stephen Stills’ classic “Love the One You’re With.” Green and Griffin lead the way on some lovely harmonies for Heart’s “What About Love?” and Friend rounds out the opening with U2’s “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” which gives the whole ensemble a chance to harmonize beautifully. Intermission finds us, yet again, with a series of spot-on songs to suit the mood of Austen’s story, with Counting Crows’ “Accidentally in Love,” Rihanna’s “SOS” nicely done by Lorraine and James, and (a special personal favorite) a full-throated version of Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass,” by Griffin, Barnes, and the whole ensemble. I mention these tunes as a reminder that it always pays to show up early, and to grab your intermission drinks as quickly as possible so you can enjoy the way the cast sets the mood.
The Summer Repertory is off to a great start with this production of Sense and Sensibility, and for our next dose of the Bard we’ll have a treat come June with the addition of The Winter’s Tale. With these two plays, we’re reminded that the course of true love never doth run smooth at Blackfriar’s Playhouse — but of course, if it did, what would be the point of watching? Let’s dig in and enjoy the ASC’s new shows!
Running Time: Two hours and 5 minutes, including one intermission.
Sense and Sensibility plays through August 2, 2025, in repertory with The Winter’s Tale (June 5 to August 2), presented by American Shakespeare Center at the Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 South Market Street, Staunton, VA. For tickets (starting at $39), call the box office at (540) 851-3400 or purchase them online. ASC also offers a Local Rush deal of 50% off tickets on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Learn more here.
Cast and artistic team credits for Sense and Sensibility are online here (scroll down).
The summer program is online here.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Adapted by Emma Whipday with Brian McMahon
Directed by Jemma Alix Levy
SEE ALSO:
A memorably brilliant ‘The Winter’s Tale’ at American Shakespeare Center (review by Andrew Walker White, June 20, 2025)
