Bristol Riverside Theatre to Present Stage Adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, 10/29-11/24

Bristol Riverside Theatre continues its season with Jon Jory's adaptation of Pride & Prejudice in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's beloved novel. Running October 29-November 24, the production, directed by BRT's Artistic Director Keith Baker, features the ensemble cast ofJessica Bedford, Grant Chapman, Rose Fairley, Michael Gamache, Jessica Gruver, Michael Halling, Hannah Kahn, Samantha Kuhl, Mark LeVasseur, Robert Ian Mackenzie, Topher Mikels, Erin Mulgrew, Mary Elizabeth Scallen, and Jo Twiss.

Previews begin Tuesday, October 29 with opening night on Thursday, October 31. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday until November 24. Tickets start at $31, with discounts for students, groups and military personnel. Tickets are available by visiting brtstage.org or calling the BRT Box Office at 215-785-0100. Bristol Riverside Theatre is located at 120 Radcliffe Street in Bristol, PA.

This fast-paced and engaging adaptation tells one of the greatest love stories of our time. With four sisters, a neurotic match-making mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it's difficult for the independent Elizabeth Bennet to escape the subject of marriage. So, when Elizabeth meets the handsome but proud Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense-but the truth turns out to be slipperier than it seems.

"BRT joins the worldwide celebration of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice on its 200th anniversary. Filled with romance, laughter and a slew of memorable characters, it's easy to see why Pride & Prejudice has captivated generation after generation," said Jane Austen fan Keith Baker.

Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813 as Jane Austen's second novel. The story deals with issues of manners, education and marriage in the landed gentry of early 19th century England. Pride and Prejudice has been hailed as one of the most loved books, continuing to retain a fascination for modern readers and inspiring many adaptations and stories imitating Austen's memorable characters and themes. To date, the book has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.

Jon Jory (adaptor) served as Producing Director at Actors Theatre of Louisville where he directed over 125 plays and produced over 1,000 works during his 32-year tenure. He conceived the internationally lauded Humana Festival of New American Plays, the SHORTS Festival, and the Brown-Forman Classics-in-Context Festival. He was also the Artistic Founding Director of Long Wharf Theatre and has been inducted in New York's Theatre Hall of Fame. In addition to Pride and Prejudice, he has adapted Jane Austen's Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion, as well as Anne of Green Gablesand The Gift of the Magi. Pride and Prejudice has also inspired Jory to write Darcy and Elizabeth and Pride and Prejudice: A Romantic Musical.

Keith Baker (director) has directed more than 40 productions for BRT including Gypsy starring Tovah Feldshuh, Chicago (nominated for six Barrymore Awards), The Balkan Women (winner of a Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play), The Dresser (nominated for a Barrymore Award for Best Director of a Play) and Dear World (nominated for three Barrymore Awards). As an actor he starred in BRT's 2012-2013 season productions of Deathtrapand Inherit the Wind and also appeared in productions of Barrymore, A Raw Space, Old Wicked Songs, Defiance, Proof, Hamlet, A Little Night Music,Arsenic and Old Lace, and A Moon for the Misbegotten. Baker has been nominated eleven times for the prestigious Carbonell Awards, for which he was twice the recipient for Best Actor. Prior to coming to BRT, Baker was Artistic Director for the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival and the Florida Repertory Theatre.

Jessica Bedford (Jane Bennet) has appeared in several productions at People's Light & Theatre Company including Noises Off, Of Mice and Men, The Master Builder and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. She has also been seen locally at Walnut Street Theatre, Act II Playhouse, Lantern Theatre Company, Montgomery Theatre, and Mauckingbird Theatre Company.

Grant Chapman (Sir William Lucas/Mr. Collins/Mr. Gardiner) reprises the role of Mr. Collins which he played at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, where he was also featured in Hamlet and Julius Caesar. In addition to appearances in the world premiere of The End at Guthrie Theatre, he has been seen in several productions at Trinity Repertory Company and Shakespeare on the Cape.

Michael Halling (Mr. Darcy) has appeared on Broadway in A Tale of Two Cities, The Boy from Oz, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and In My Life as well as in The Pajama Game at Roundabout Theatre Company, Candide at New York City Opera, and Bells Are Ringing at City Center Encores. His regional credits include productions at Dallas Theatre Center, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cleveland Playhouse and Pioneer Theatre.

Hannah Kahn (Elizabeth Bennet) starred in the New York Classical Theatre production of The Tempest and appeared regionally in The Burnt Part Boys at Griffin Theatre Company and the world premiere of The Whole World is Watching at Dog & Pony Theatre Company. She is a recent graduate of Northwestern University where she received the WiniFred Ward Award and department awards for excellence in acting and musical theatre.

Mark LeVasseur (George Wickham/Ball Guest) has been a frequent guest at Aquila Theatre and Peterborough Players. His New York credits include productions at the Pearl Theatre, New York Classical Theatre, Flea Theatre, and New York Neo-Classical Ensemble.

Robert Ian Mackenzie (Mr. Bennet) returns to BRT where he last appeared in Forget Hoerostratus and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In addition to productions at La Mama, Samuel Beckett Theatre and Avery Fisher Hall as well as on London's West End, he has since been seen in several productions at Stageworks/Hudson and Ensemble for the Romantic Century. His film credits include roles in The Good Shepherd, The Thomas Crown Affair, and A Fish Called Wanda, and he has also appeared in featured roles in Guiding Light and All My Children. Mackenzie came to acting following careers as a London policeman, a water ski instructor on the Greek island of Corfu, and the managing director of a manufacturing company.

Mary Elizabeth Scallen (Lady Catherine de Bourgh/Housekeeper/Ball Guest) is a frequent performer at People's Light & Theatre Company where she has appeared in over two dozen productions since 1991. She has also been seen locally in Angels in America at The Wilma Theater, Sylvia at Act II Playhouse, Happy Days at Lantern Theatre Company, Sleeping Beauty at Arden Theatre Company and Much Ado about Nothing at Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival.

Jo Twiss (Mrs. Bennet) recreates the role she played at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Company, where she is a frequent guest. She previously appeared at BRT last season in Deathtrap and has also been seen in Up, which earned her a BroadwayWorld.com nomination for Best Actress, as well asSteel Magnolias, The Spitfire Grill, Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge, and Always Patsy Cline. She starred in Rabbit Hole at both Pittsburgh Public Theatre and Hartford's Theatre Works and in The Travels of Angelica at Cincinnati in the Park. On Broadway she appeared as Big Mamma in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a role she reprised in St. Louis and Cincinnati where she won an Acclaim Award for her performance.

Pride and Prejudice reunites a creative team of BRT favorites: set designer Megan Jones, costume designer Linda B. Stockton, lighting designerKate Ashton, sound designer Bradlee Milton, and choreographer Stephen Casey.

The 2013-2014 mainstage season continues with Tuesdays with Morrie by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom (January 28-February 16), Laughter on the 23rd Floor by Neil Simon (March 18-April 13), and Little Shop of Horrors by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (May 6-June 8).

Since 1986, BRT has brought consistently acclaimed professional theatre to Bucks County and maintained a long-term commitment to finding and developing new plays. The theatre is the recipient of over 68 Barrymore Award nominations for Excellence in Theatre, given annually by the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. In addition to its mainstage productions, the theatre serves as a cultural hub for the community, with such programs as children's theatre, community concerts and exhibitions of local visual arts. Currently under the direction of Artistic Director Keith Baker, Founding Director Susan D. Atkinson, and Managing Director, Amy Kaissar, BRT is entering its 27th season. For information, visit www.brtstage.org.

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