Broadway Players of FHS to perform ‘Sense and Sensibility’

FAIRFIELD — The Broadway Players of FHS will perform their fall play three times this weekend, Friday through Sunday at the Fairfield High School Auditorium.

The young thespians will perform “Sense and Sensibility,” a play written by Kate Hamill based on the 1811 novel by Jane Austen. A movie adaptation of the novel came out in 1995 starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman.

The Broadway Players will perform the play at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $5 at the door, or free with an activity pass. The auditorium is general seating, and the house will open half an hour before the performance.

Directing the play is Noel Wotherspoon, who became the head of the school’s drama department after her mother, Betsie, retired at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Wotherspoon said the 1995 film adaptation is one of her favorite movies of all time, and that she must have seen it at least 20 times. She came upon Kate Hamill’s theater adaptation of this work last year, and hoped to cut it for a speech team event, but couldn’t find enough students willing to fill all the roles.

Over the summer, Wotherspoon read a lot of scripts in the lead up to the fall play, but none of them tickled her fancy. At the last minute, she decided to go forward with “Sense and Sensibility.”

“I took into consideration the rising popularity of this title and others by the playwright as proof that it would be well suited for high school students and play well to current audiences,” Wotherspoon said. “The huge popularity of Bridgerton, which also takes place in Regency Era England, was a bit of an influence as well. Perhaps students haven’t heard of Jane Austen or Sense and Sensibility, but they’re more than likely familiar with Bridgerton.”

Wotherspoon noted that, unlike the Netflix series, “our show is PG and definitely family friendly!”

Synopsis

Wotherspoon said that “Sense and Sensibility” is set in 1790s England and follows the Dashwood sisters as they must move with their widowed mother from the estate on which they grew up, Norland Park, after the unexpected death of their father. Norland is passed down to John Dashwood, Mr. Dashwood’s son from a previous marriage, because the law was such that Mr. Dashwood could not leave any part of his estate to his widow or female heirs.

“The Widow Dashwood, and her three daughters, take up residence in a modest cottage on the property of a distant cousin, Sir John Middleton,” Wotherspoon said. “Through family interactions and acquaintances made in their new neighborhood, the eldest sisters, Elinor and Marianne become romantically entangled with a few different gentlemen. However, none of the circumstances of these relationships are ideal. Elinor is separated from her would-be beau and Marianne becomes embroiled in vicious gossip. Truths, lies, promises, and scandals are revealed and made public as the plot unfolds. In the end both sisters find happiness and contentment with men of their choosing, and a deeper love for each other.”

Central to the story is the relationship between the two older sisters and their struggle to understand each other. The oldest daughter, Elinor is ruled by logic, practicality, and common sense, whereas the middle daughter, Marianne is guided by her heart, passion, and compulsion.

Elinor is played by senior Erin Epperson and Marianne by junior Evie Messer. Wotherspoon said both are experienced performers, having been involved in many shows at FHS and FMS.

Senior Felicia Strong plays the role of Mrs. Jennings, an “overbearing, yet well meaning, busy body who both helps and hinders the Dashwoods’ social progress.”

Elinor’s love interest, the awkward, but genuine Edward Ferrars is played by sophomore Niko Emerson.

“This is Niko's second show with me, and his first time in a sizable role,” Wotherspoon said.

Marianne’s love interests include the “dashing and poetic” Mr. Willoughby, and the older, stoic Colonel Brandon, played by Brock Curtis and Marcus Trent, respectively. Both are juniors and have done several shows in the past.

The freshman class is well represented in this production, comprising 11 of the 24 actors. Even some of the minor characters play important roles in moving the plot along, and they are called “Gossips.” Wotherspoon said the Gossips are a kind of “Greek chorus” who narrate between scenes, filling in gaps for the audience, and even interacting with and influencing the main characters.

“I’ve chosen to add them into scenes where they weren’t written, and have them follow after certain characters who invite, spread, or spark gossip,” Wotherspoon said. “Hopefully, this adds to the storytelling, and has been a great opportunity for some of the less experienced students to have more stage time.”

Wotherspoon told the cast about the original novel and film adaptation, but she didn’t require them to read it or watch it. In fact, she tries to stay away from those materials, because she wants to put her own touch on the production.

“I want the ideas and design concepts I use to be my own as much as possible,” she said. “Art always inspires art in one way or another, but I seek to keep from blatantly stealing or copying. That being said, I have been inspired by a few favorite moments in the film, but they won’t be evident to the casual viewer.”

Just as Wotherspoon seeks to use her own creative ideas, that’s what she wants to encourage in her actors as well.

“I want them to come to their own understanding of the character based on the script and how we discuss it together,” she said. “That way there is more to be learned and they have more ownership over their performance.”

A full cast list with the character followed by the student playing them is as follows:

Elinor Dashwood (Erin Epperson), Marianne Dashwood (Evie Messer), Margaret Dashwood (Valerie Hernandez), Mrs. Dashwood (Ella Holderbaum), John Dashwood (Tristen Garretson), Edward Ferrars (Niko Emerson), Fanny Dashwood (Elizabeth Hootman) Colonel Brandon (Marcus Trent), John Willoughby (Brock Curtis), Sir John Middleton (David Creer), Mrs. Jennings (Felicia Strong), Lady Middleton, Gossip (Nicole Hunger), Lucy Steele (Allison Hunger), Anne Steele (Daisy Trent) Robert Ferrars, Gossip (Josua Carlson), Mrs. Ferrars, Servant 3, Gossip (Arwydd Hays), Thomas, Gossip (Moon Sutherland) Doctor, Gossip (Trajen Curtis), Gossip, Servant 1 (Samu Shrestha), Gossip, Servant 2 (Manon Kermott), Gossip, Servant 4 (Meara Malloy), Gossip, Servant 5 (Alexis Eisenbraun) Gossips (Phoenix Johnson, Tula Sorflaten).

The technical director for this production is John Grunwald, and he is assisted by Jim Edgeton. Betsie Wotherspoon is the costume mistress, and Connor Hawkins is the stage manager. Other crew members include: Harmony Bailey, Lauren Bonar, Emma Crandall, Aja Dorothy, Kayla Karangi, Liv Kensel, Toby Lint, Ayla Pohren, S. Poletti, Nora Salek, Gabe Strong and Pearl Winheim.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com