Arielle Yoder’s Anne is pursued by Jamie Smithson’s Cousin William in Bedlam’s Persuasion.
The theatrical troupe calls itself Bedlam, and that may be putting it strongly, but they sure do gad about onstage. Bedlam’s latest endeavor, Sarah Rose Kearns’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s final novel, Persuasion, is currently fizzing all over the Connelly Theater stage, offering many diversions—few of them, unfortunately, having much to do with Jane Austen.
You may remember Persuasion from its well-received 1995 film adaptation, starring a yearning Amanda Root and a strapping Ciarán Hinds as, respectively, Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth, on-again, off-again sweethearts navigating a dense Austen landscape of duty, regret, and conniving.
Claire Hsu and Caroline Grogan, as Louisa and Henrietta Musgrove, share a secret, to the exclusion of Frederick Wentworth (Rajesh Bose).
At the Connelly, Anne is Arielle Yoder, aptly embodying the thinking, yearning Austen woman, struggling between the narrow existence that’s expected of her and the undeveloped capabilities she longs to pursue. Captain Wentworth is Rajesh Bose, suitably stalwart and well-spoken, if not quite the dashing rake one expects. They are encountered as Anne is turning a highly marriageable 19, and she’s happy to accept his proposal. But this is Austen, and there’s going to be more to it than that. Heeding the well-meaning but destructive entreaties of her godmother, Lady Russell (Annabel Capper), who views Wentworth as unworthy and, not coincidentally, not rich enough, Anne changes her mind and resigns herself to spinsterhood—which means, in this universe, remaining unmarried beyond 25.
Then something happens that doesn’t happen a lot in Austen: The story jumps forward eight years. Anne is now, yes, an old maid, and Wentworth is successful, a military hero—a prospect. And since fate puts him back in Anne’s orbit, she tries to win him back. Unsurprising spoiler ahead: she does. But this being Bedlam, a lot else happens, much of it involving Anne’s friend Mary Musgrove (Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy, who shrieks her way through her role). There’s also Anne’s father, the financially troubled Sir Walter (Randolph Curtis Rand), and William Elliot (Jamie Smithson), her first cousin, who’s very interested in her.
That’s enough of the plot, which isn’t that complex by Austen standards, and in any case is eclipsed by all the Bedlam going on. Why, every time a character mentions the unseen Charles Hayter, does a pompous offstage voice intone, “Charles Hayter”? Why is the onstage laughter so constant, and so loud? Why does Wentworth spend most of the first act immobile and under a sheet—because he’s dead to Anne? Why are the Elliots’ neighbors, the Crofts, so damn chatty? Why do dozens of black balloons plummet from the wings and spend most of the rest of the show getting punted around? Why is there choreography, not bad choreography, by Susannah Millonzi, but why is it there? Why does Yonatan Gebeyehu, in several minor roles, spend so much time at the piano, and then so much time in drag, as Lady Dalrymple? Why do the dramatis personae spend so much time eating, and clattering their spoons so? Why, except for possibly a cheap laugh, does Lady Russell begin the proceedings by announcing there is absolutely no smoking, while smoking? Why are bird calls drowning out so much of the repartee? Why is that character holding a full-size model of a sheep?
Yoder and Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy, about to shriek something as Mary. Photographs by Ashley Garrett.
Apparently such shenanigans are typical of Bedlam and much loved by their disciples, who presumably aren’t Jane Austen purists. This Persuasion is briskly directed by Eric Tucker, with the type of overlapping dialogue one would expect of a Howard Hawks movie, and elegantly costumed by Charlotte Palmer-Lane, who, however, does throw in a couple of anachronistic outfits that make no sense. And the lighting, by Les Dickert, is really striking, with shadows dancing across the back wall and across the actors’ faces—though to what purpose, who can say?
Not that it’s dull, or that the 2½ hours don’t fly by like, let’s say, two hours ten. This Persuasion has energy, and some amusing staging. But it also reveals the risks and dangers of combining classic literature with something resembling a three-ring circus. Yes, it’s Austen, but it’s also … bedlam.
Persuasion runs through Oct. 31 at the Connelly Theater (220 E. 4th St.). Evening performances are Tuesday through Sunday at 7 p.m.; matinees are 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For tickets, information, and pandemic attendance guidelines, visit bedlam.org.
