The young actors in the Academy of Creative Theatre (ACT) at SLO REP, blew me away and created a truly memorable experience for the audience. Fortunately, Pride and Prejudice at SLO REP is still in its first week and will run until January 20th, with a 2:00 matinee on the 19th and 7:00 shows from the 16th to the 20th. Performing in a beautifully simple set, these actors all gave thoughtful and nuanced performances with impressively consistent accents. These characters all felt so real and full of life, and I’ll admit that, because of this, I enjoyed this production even more than the book!
The show was led by Penny DellaPelle as Elizabeth Bennet. She had a lot of text to work with, and absolutely nailed it. She embodied Elizabeth’s intelligence, quick wit, grace, and compassion perfectly. Opposite her was Elliot Peters as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. He brought so much more to the character than I’d seen in the novel or even the 1995 miniseries (sorry, Colin Firth). His emotional range as an actor is stunning and I really enjoyed seeing his character’s growth. These two actors also had great chemistry, which made for a very captivating show. I could go on for ages about the whole cast and their performances, like Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, the Bennet and Bingley sisters, Mr. Bingley, the perfectly odd Mr. Collins, and the whole ensemble. Every actor brought their all, and created a very believable world as a team.
This show is a total delight for audiences of all ages and you definitely won’t want to miss it. Tickets for the show can be purchased here!
