Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility

By: Kate Hamill

Performance Times: February 1–11, 2024

Sense and Sensibility examines our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart?

A playful new adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters—sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne—after their father's sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable. As the sisters navigate the complex social customs of their time, they face various challenges and obstacles in their pursuit of happiness. Ultimately, they must learn to balance their sense and sensibility in order to find fulfillment in both their romantic and familial relationships. Sense and Sensibility examines our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything, how does one follow their heart?

Set in gossipy late 18th-century England, the play is full of humor, emotional depth, and imaginative staging. Kate Hamill’s adaptation has married the classic novel with modern theatricality, using a fresh female voice where descriptive narrative is replaced by clever staging to engage the audience's imagination. The result is a “fast paced, dynamic form of storytelling that is foot forward, transformative, and FUN!”