Review: PRIDE @ PREJUDICE At Theatre Three

One of the things that I love about the Long Island theater scene is that you can always be pleasantly surprised as to what a theater is offering for their season. Case in point is Theatre Three's current offering Pride @ Prejudice. The Long Island premiere of Daniel Leu Kramer's hilarious deconstruction of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice kicks off the spring season at the beautiful Port Jefferson, Long Island, venue and let me tell you you are in for a fun evening.

Think of this show as the cliff notes to the classic novel. The beautiful cast - all stars of Long Island theatre - are dressed in period costumes, but reenact the highlights of the text from the book while breaking character at times to analyze that point in the story and even speculate about the author. Yet, even if you have not read the book or seen any of the movies, you will at least be educated to this iconic piece of literature. It is deliciously quirky and a lot of fun.

Jeffrey Sanzel, the venue's Artistic Director, excellently directs the stellar ensemble cast of five. Christine Boehm, Michelle LaBozzetta, Ashley Brooke, David DiMarzo, and Andrew Murano all deliver many laughs in the two act show. With the exception of Ms. Boehm who reenacts Elizabeth, they all portray several roles. Laughter abounds from the enthusiastic audience as they masterfully differentiate each character.

Indeed, Mr. Sanzel's clever creative team is exemplary. Tim Haggerty's sound design elevates the cast's top-notch comedic timing and Randall Parsons' set is well done. A wall with three doors stands behind the cast and chairs are moved about for the different, seamless scene changes. Combined with the aforementioned beautiful costumes by Chakira Doherty, you are served a visually stunning show.

And so, Theatre Three showing of Pride @ Prejudice is certainly a great way to begin this beautiful Spring season. It is a show to forget about the day and problems among us and just laugh out loud. A wonderful cast and the bustling Port Jefferson area make for a fun night of theatre.