The Tallahassee area's community theatre groups have lots going on to entertain fans of live stage performances. One show opens this Friday evening. It's a special adaptation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Jessica Cavanaugh, a Young Actors Theatre alum who prepared the work for the stage, said it's an old story that has surprising traction with today's audiences and the performers who'll present it to them.
"That's the good thing about being to adapt something and knowing the children I'm going to be working with and thinking, 'Okay, what's going to resonate with them? What's going to bring it into this world for them?' So we have a couple of things in the show that blend in the modern sensibility just to show we're all the same people."
At the same time, she said, the play stays true to the essence of Austen's original story. A tale Cavanaugh noted was already a bit revolutionary.
"This is going to be a little more punch, a little more upbeat, a little more fun."
"Pride and Prejudice" runs at Young Actors Theatre this Friday through February 12th. Other area performances this weekend include Shakespeare's "The Tempest" at Theatre Tallahassee, and the Quincy Music Theatre's comedy whodunit "Curtains."
