What to stream this weekend: Cygnet’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’

For one weekend only, Cygnet Theatre makes it 2019 version of “Pride and Prejudice” available to stream
From new TV shows and cast reunions to virtual musical and arts events, here’s a weekly look at a standout streaming option
My pick: Cygnet Theatre’s “Pride and Prejudice”
Not for Lady Catherine de Bourgh types: This weekend, Cygnet makes it version of “Pride and Prejudice” available to stream. But be warned: this is not, by any means, a traditional staging of Jane Austen’s classic. Written by Kate Hamill, this version is a humorous and lively adaptation told through a modern lens — including the use of pop music. Lady Catherine definitely would not approve.
Elizabeth + Darcy forever: Though “Pride and Prejudice” is essentially a love story between the free-sprited Elizabeth Bennet and the uptight Mr. Darcy, it’s also a play about propriety, family and social class. In the book, these topics are explored over hundreds of pages. On stage it’s condensed into a dizzying two acts, combined with a modern feminist perspective. But never fear, Elizabeth and Darcy still live happily ever after and the Bennet family doesn’t die penniless.
More chaotic than Mrs. Bennet: This play has a cast of only eight which means the actors play multiple characters — Sweet Mr. Bingley, for example, doubles as the always-ignored Mary Bennet. Also? They change costume on stage, sometimes as they speak. It’s definitely chaotic, but it also infuses a hyperactive energy into a traditionally slow-moving story.
As good as Pemberley Estate: I saw this play when it was first staged in 2019 and it was one of my favorite productions of the year.
Watch it: “Pride and Prejudice” is available as a 48-hour rental for $20. Today
is the final day to purchase at cygnettheatre.com.
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