BY ADAM M. SCHENCK
A preference is, by definition, a greater liking for one option over another. For some odd reason, however, I cannot fathom how someone would not like the genre of the English romance, which focuses on romantic relationships and concludes with an optimistic ending, typically a marriage.
That said, not everyone watched “Masterpiece Theater” on PBS with their parents growing up, or relishes every quip on “Downton Abbey,” let alone reads lengthy novels of manners from Jane Austen and Henry James. I am just such a man.
Some might feel that it is a chore to sit through Theatre in the Round’s production of “Sense and Sensibility” from 8 to 11 p.m. on a Friday night. It is a long play, and my partner and I eventually sat as if we were on our couch at home, leaning into one another and fighting somnolence after a long day at work.
Nevertheless, I was transfixed throughout, and delighted to see local actors speak with believable English accents and whip through line after line of dialogue. If you love the English romantic genre—with its analysis of class, economics, inheritance rights, and of course love—then director Kari Steinbach has created content you may find addictive.
Steinbach’s casting is impeccable. Austen’s story has two eligible young ladies who will need marriage to find their place in society following the death of their father. The lead actors portray the “sense” (Lauren Diesch as Elinor Dashwood) and “sensibility” (Jane Burkitt as Marianne Dashwood) of the title. Scarcely can I imagine better personalities to inhabit these characters. Pittsburgh native Diesch shines with subtle intelligence and reserved mien in Austen’s stand-in character, Elinor, never flubbing even the cadence of her innumerable lines, while Burkitt contorts her body to show her character’s stormy emotions.
The energy of the rest of the cast is palpable. Steinbach draws stellar performances from all 18 actors, notably George Calger as the grave Colonel Brandon and a charismatic Alec Leonard as the unreformed rake John Willoughby.
The set, designed by John A. Woskott, is decidedly minimized; butlers move a few pieces of furniture and few other stage properties. Lighting from Bill Larsen, costumes from Josette Elstad, and sound from Warren Sampson take us from countryside to London and from ballroom to roaring storm.
Jane Austen seems to have the staying power of our most potent cultural narratives, and to see a faithful production of “Sense and Sensibility” attended by a near full house was simply a joy. A nearly three-hour time commitment pales in the face of a story as powerful as time immemorial.
“Sense and Sensibility is at the Theatre in the Round, 245 Cedar Ave., Fri. & Sat., 8 p.m., and Sun., 2 p.m. through June 26. For tickets: 612-333-3010 or theatreintheround.org.
