Emma: Thank You, Book-It Theatre!

Tonight I saw Book-It Theatre's production of Emma. That story brings me no end of joy in book form, in film form and now in play form. It was a small theatre in the round and when I showed up someone had cancelled, so I had a front row seat. At times I literally had to tuck my feet in so that the actors wouldn't trip on me - now THAT'S a theatrical experience! There is a lot of humor in Emma and they did a bang up job of bringing it out. One excellent facet was the "imagination sequences", for lack of a better description. Emma would get carried away making up stories in her head and suddenly you'd hear the classic harp trill, the lighting would shift and other actors would come out and perform what she was imagining - all overacting and silent movie-style physicality. They also did quite well with a lack of set pieces - there was some ingenious work with ribbons, descending light fixtures, chair positioning, lighting and acting skill. By far the best occurred when Mr. Elton and Emma are alone in the carriage after the Christmas party. To represent the carriage they put four chairs very close together facing each other...and then the actors bobbed and shook and joggled themselves in their seats for a jiggly carriage ride! Amazing! And after the disastrous declaration of love, the awkward silence while they joggled themselves - the overly long, profoundly awkward, unbearably hilarious silence - PERFECTION.

John Bianchi as Mr. Elton was PRECIOUS - in a hilariously over the top, grossly off-putting way. Frank Churchill's wardrobe design made me smile - everything just a bit more flash than everyone else's. His coat (and sometimes pants) were velvet, his buttons a little bigger, a little shinier, a little more profuse, his trim a bit more...trimmy. And my favorite part: his jacket shoulders just a bit poofier. Sylvie Davidson as Emma was delightfully enthusiastic and prim and self-assured and selfish and sweet. You could actually feel that Emma was a young and naively spoiled 21-year old who sincerely thought that she was right in determining every one's best interest. Dylan Chalfy as Mr. Knigtly was spot on for an upright, good and no-nonsense gentleman with a sense of humor. I think the casting department watched the Gwyneth Paltrow/Jeremy Northam film and cast as Jeremy-Northam-ish an actor as they could find in Seattle. Not that it was a problem, he was EXCELLENT, but I wonder if they knew. Or maybe Knightly just calls for a man with dark hair, a straight nose, direct eyes and a mouth that looks ready to smirk at any moment. It's a combo that certainly seems to work.

Oh my, I do love plays, and I do love Emma. And something else - when people talk about romantic male heroes in classic literature etc Mr. Darcy ALLLLLWAYS comes up. Always. He makes some women all gushy. While I don't deny that the whole Mr. Darcy/Elizabeth Bennet thing is great, I just have to think that not enough people have read/seen Emma. That's the only explanation that makes sense - forget Mr. Darcy, he's rubbish compared to Knightly! I'll take one Mr. Knightly, please.