As the lights went down in Spirito Hall on Thursday night, the crowd hushed in anticipation for the Foothill drama department’s production of Pride and Prejudice that was about to begin.

As the lights went down in Spirito Hall on Thursday night, the crowd hushed in anticipation for the Foothill drama department’s production of Pride and Prejudice that was about to begin.

Pride and Prejudice, adapted from Jane Austen’s novel of the same name, follows the story of five sisters and their parents who live in the English countryside. The five sisters are unmarried, and are facing eviction once their father dies. Being not very well to-do, their parents are seeking desperately to marry them off in hopes of wealth. What ensues is a whirlwind of love, loss, deceit, deception, misinterpretation, pride, and prejudice.

Directed by seniors Jonathan Lantiegne and Charlie Klucker, the play marks Foothill’s first spring production since 2007, and the third play the department has put on this year. Due to this factor, the show was put together very rapidly, resulting in nervous directors.

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“It was crunch time when we started the play,” Lantiegne remarked on the rushed preparation process. Despite their worry however, the cast pulled through, and produced an enjoyable show.

This is the first dramatic, serious and well-known production that Foothill Drama has put on in recent years. Not relying on the “slapstick humor,” which usually ensures good reception from the audience, was another source of nerves for the directors.

“I was really surprised by it, because you know, it’s hard to do a play like this, but we actually did really well with it,” Lantiegne said of the genre chosen.

Seniors Claire Dickinson and Spencer Malone played the leads, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, respectively. Dickinson also aided in adapting the script, ordering costumes and designing costumes.

This was Dickinson’s first time acting in a Foothill play, and Malone’s first time acting in a play in general. His parents, Kim and Mike Malone remarked that their son never ceases to surprise them, and that Malone might spend more time on the stage in college.

Of all four grades, the most seniors participated in the production, marking their final show at Foothill. Drama advisor Sarah Page noted that the seniors were a crucial force in the preparation process of the production.

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The show was captivating, dramatic and overall a production worth seeing. The drama department surprised and impressed with a classic brought to life.

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Background Photo Credit: Fidelity Ballmer / The Foothill Dragon Press