Director Jemma Alix Levy is aware of the vast differences between Austen\u2019s time and our own, and crafts an evening that gives you the opportunity to see your own journey in these characters \u2014 the shy young women and men, accustomed to being passed over; the brassy young men, the arrogant ones who damage others but who (in this story, at least) get their comeuppance. It\u2019s amazing what a difference it makes when these characters are close enough to touch, because their relatability, 200 years on, reminds us why Austen is still one of our most popular authors.<\/p>\n As the long-suffering Dashwood sisters, Corrie Green (Marianne) and Sara J. Griffin (Elinor) create the kind of sibling rivalry, and the personal chemistry, that should come as no surprise to Austen fans \u2014 and sisters in the audience alike. Green\u2019s passion and her absolute, metaphysical certainties, which are due to be tested in short order, contrast perfectly with Griffin\u2019s reserved, sober eye on the world. Elinor\u2019s reserve, in particular, is as discreet as it is riveting, as she quietly endures love and loss. Keep your eyes on Griffin, because it is the resolve to keep her feelings well hid that defines Elinor, with only the slightest gleam in the eye to tell you what\u2019s really going on inside her head.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll get to the guys in a minute, but first: Raven Lorraine is an absolute standout, tackling two truly conniving, gold-digging women with all the arrogance and self-assurance you might expect. As Fanny Dashwood, who deliberately impoverishes Elinor and Marianne, Lorraine is decked gloriously in black by Costume Designer Elizabeth Wislar. The costume and the actor are a perfect match, as we see her whittle away the girls\u2019 inheritance to next to nothing. And her return as Lucy Steele \u2014 ever hungry for a man\u2019s dough \u2014 is just as delicious and just as vicious. (Those boo\u2019s and hisses you hear are no mistake, people.)<\/p>\n There is, of course, a true cad in the mix \u2013 John Willoughby, played here with deceptive charm by Komi M. Gbeblewou. This is just the sort of rake called for, dashing in appearance (again, thanks to Wislar), with confidence to spare, but utterly self-absorbed. When Willoughby\u2019s abuses finally catch up with him, and he is reduced to pleading his case before Elinor \u2014 Marianne, the innocent girl he jilted, can\u2019t stand to be near him \u2014 we feel no sympathy for him whatsoever. Don\u2019t be surprised if, in addition to the boo\u2019s and hisses, one hears someone utter insults his way as he makes his final, pathetic, departure (\u201cJerk!\u201d was distinctly heard the night I was there).<\/p>\n Now for the good guys \u2014 you know, the ones you always ignore at first, but who turn out to have hearts of gold? Yeah, those fellas. Geoffrey Warren Barnes II\u2019s turn as Edward Ferrars is nicely done, the shyness and the eagerness to please, the desperation never to offend (upended by the entrance of Miss Steele, see above), all endear him to us, and the resolution of his search for a mate is, of course, happily concluded. Barnes\u2019 turn as Sir John Middleton reminds us, too, that he can do bold and brassy with the best of \u2019em as well.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in Jordan Friend, we have a fine Colonel Brandon, the \u201cold man\u201d of the bunch, completely irrelevant at first, of course, but once he has an opportunity to show his kindness, the wall between Brandon and his intended dissolves into a very happy ending indeed.<\/p>\n This being a Shakespeare company, it is a real treat to see the passages the cast chooses to highlight as part of the action \u2014 Marianne being passionate for the plays, has two different reading partners at different points, and chances are you\u2019ll be quite familiar with the scenes they choose to read aloud for us.<\/p>\n The festivities get off to a truly rollicking start in the pre-show, with Barnes\u2019 take on Stephen Stills\u2019 classic \u201cLove the One You\u2019re With.\u201d Green and Griffin lead the way on some lovely harmonies for Heart\u2019s \u201cWhat About Love?\u201d and Friend rounds out the opening with U2\u2019s \u201cStill Haven\u2019t Found What I\u2019m Looking For,\u201d which gives the whole ensemble a chance to harmonize beautifully. Intermission finds us, yet again, with a series of spot-on songs to suit the mood of Austen\u2019s story, with Counting Crows\u2019 \u201cAccidentally in Love,\u201d Rihanna\u2019s \u201cSOS\u201d nicely done by Lorraine and James, and (a special personal favorite) a full-throated version of Annie Lennox\u2019s \u201cWalking on Broken Glass,\u201d by Griffin, Barnes, and the whole ensemble. I mention these tunes as a reminder that it always pays to show up early, and to grab your intermission drinks as quickly as possible so you can enjoy the way the cast sets the mood.<\/p>\n The Summer Repertory is off to a great start with this production of Sense and Sensibility<\/em>, and for our next dose of the Bard we\u2019ll have a treat come June with the addition of The Winter\u2019s Tale<\/em>. With these two plays, we\u2019re reminded that the course of true love never doth run smooth at Blackfriar\u2019s Playhouse \u2014 but of course, if it did, what would be the point of watching? Let\u2019s dig in and enjoy the ASC\u2019s new shows!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Sense-228.jpeg\")
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