Droll and delicious, Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberley is a charming, confectionary celebration of fan favorite characters from Pride and Prejudice, multi-generationally honoring the legacy of Jane Austen’s humor, playfulness and wit in a warm-spirited holiday theatrical production. –Gia Jun, DCMetroTheater Arts.com
This holiday tale is a MUST-SEE for Jane Austen fans in the metro DC area! It can be seen until DEC 23rd at the Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD. My parents and I went last SUN afternoon; it was one of their pay what you can (PWYC) performances. The fun, yet still true to the spirit of Austen, story was written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon (two friends/collaborators who have many works under their belts individually). There is only one set, BUT it has sections where various actions takes place. The costumes look true to the times and very beautiful.
The time is two years after the end of Pride and Prejudice. A Christmas tree (a spruce) has been brought inside the house by an excited Elizabeth, which is (at first) quite surprising to the more traditional Mr. Darcy. It’s a new German custom, she explains, and he quickly agrees that it should stay in the main drawing room. We learn that eldest Bennett sister, Jane, and the still-doting Mr. Bingley (Brandon McCoy, Eli from The Who and The What) are soon to be parents. Vivacious youngest sis Mrs. Lydia Wickham is ALSO spending this Christmas at Pemberley (oh boy, watch out)!
Mary, the middle sister of the Bennett family, has grown into quite an young lady. She is intelligent, VERY observant, and brings interesting points to every conversation. Lately, Mary has been wondering about her future life, aside from her pianoforte and the books in her father’s library. However, her choices are limited in this time/society!
Vaughan’s Arthur is a bumbling scene-stealer, emerging despite his endearing social awkwardness as a young man of principle and deep feeling. His partner in earnest geekiness is Kleiger’s Mary, possessed of a disciplined mind and a restless heart. -Jayne Blanchard, DCTheaterScene.com
We are introduced to Arthur (a new character, NOT found in Austen) who is the nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and cousin to Mr. Darcy. Arthur is a 25 y.o. who studies at Oxford and is NOT the best at socializing. Mary and Arthur seem like they could be a great couple! However, there are a FEW obstacles to overcome first.
This rom com (based on the memoir of the same title by Chetan Bhagat) came out in Spring 2014; I saw it two weeks back. This is a fun, yet realistic film, that’s NOT only concerned w/ two MBA students falling in love, BUT what comes after (getting to know each other’s families and the drama that ensues). To add a twist usually NOT seen in mainstream Indian films- Ananya (Alia Bhatt) is from the South; Krish (Arjun Kapoor) hails from the North.
So, what’s the biggie here- they’re BOTH Hindu, right? Yes, WE American desis MAY feel that way! BUT their families who speak different languages and follow different customs, along w/ ALL the typical baggage (which you’d see in a film like Meet the Parents).
Chetan and Anusha Bhagat- the real couple behind this film
When they first meet in grad school, Ananya is annoyed that there is no beer at the local café. Krish explains: “Gujarat is a dry state.” He gets interested in her first, BUT thinks she’s “out of my league.” Krish offers to help Ananya w/ Economics (which is her weak subject). Their friendship quickly grows into love after he declares one night that he doesn’t ONLY want to be her buddy.
Ananya (Alia Bhatt) and Krish (Arjun Kapoor)
There are only a FEW songs in this film (which are quite good); you can get them from iTunes. The music blends pretty well into the actions/emotions. The students/dancers in the background actually look like real/average people, NOT models. The run time could’ve been shorter. I recommend it for ALL of you who wouldn’t usually give Bollywood a chance!
What would you like young audiences, esp. young black men, to get from this story? -Sunny Hostin (CNN)
That your history did not begin with slavery.-Malachi Kirby, actor
You may be asking- WHY do we need a retelling of this story? MANY in the US (and worldwide) already read the book and watched the 1977 series. But once you start watching, you realize how important it is that Roots reaches a new generation of viewers.Faith (NOT necessarily religion), family (incl. marriage- “jumping the broom”), and traditions (from Africa) become even MORE important under slavery.
Mark Wolper, son of David Wolper (who developed the 1977 miniseries) decided on the remake after his kids couldn’t sit still to watch it. The main issue- it was TOO slow! NOT only does this show have more action, it’s much more colorful, richly detailed (thanks to technology and knowledge filmmakers didn’t have 40 yrs. ago), and very watchable (thanks to veteran and newcomer actors, as well as skilled directors). I was esp. happy to see that LeVar Burton (who played the original Kunta Kinte when he was only 19 y.o.) was an executive producer on the series; he also has a brief cameo in Part 1. The music is one of the BEST elements, thanks to Ahmir “Questlove” Johnson, a member of The Roots.
Part 1
Kunta Kinte (Malachi Kirby) rides his horse through the woods in West Africa.
This is (undoubtedly) the strongest 2 hrs. of the 8 hr. series! Time is given for us to know re: the West African city of Jufuree (which was NOT a little village, BUT had a pop. of nearly 10,000). The sets are quite intricate and large-scale. There is the gorgeous turquoise dyed cloth that is worn by many people. Women use dark color on BOTH their lips and around their eyes. Tribal practices are blended w/ the religion of Islam (a fact which was jarring to SOME viewers, from reviews I read). Yes, people do use the term “Allah” and prostrate themselves to pray! About 30% of the African slaves brought to “the New World” were Muslims.
The Kinte Family in Jufuree
Kunta Kinte (British newcomer Malachi Kirby in a standout role), the son of Binte Kinte and Omoro Kinte, is a bright, observant teenager who is training to be a warrior (w/ his male peers). He also has a crush on a local girl, and she seems to like him, too. But his parents say that they’ll arrange a marriage for him (when the time comes). Kunta has great respect for his parents, tradition, religion, yet he ALSO possesses a strong will (which will BOTH help and hurt him later in life). We will see things more from his eyes in MANY cases (thanks to camera-work). If great acting is in the eyes, then Kirby is definitely one to watch in the future.
The next segment of the story which impressed me was The Middle Passage; a huge ship was built to accommodate actors, cameras, and crew! If you saw 12 Years a Slave, then you can handle this part (maybe a BIT better than more sensitive viewers). We get a glimpse of JUST how cramped, crowded, and downright horrific conditions were for the men (and some boys)!
A slave is not bought; a slave has to be created! -The overseer explains to Kunta
When we get to America, it’s Revolutionary War era, and Kunta is purchased by a surly/middle-aged planter from Virginia, John Waller (British actor James Purefoy). He has a British wife, Elizabeth, who has settled easily into the life under slavery, though their marriage doesn’t look happy. His more sensitive and younger brother, Dr. William Waller (British actor Matthew Goode), lives in a neighboring plantation and is also the local physician. But the worst of this lot is the red-headed (and bearded) Irish overseer who REALLY enjoys his work!
Fiddler (Forrest Whitaker) and Kunta/Toby (Malachi Kirby) on the Waller plantation
Kunta (who is named Toby by Elizabeth) DOES find an (at first hesitant) ally in Fiddler (American veteran actor Forrest Whitaker), who has special role in the Waller household (thanks to his musical talent) and is a favorite slave of the mistress. Whitaker does a GREAT job in his role (as you’d expect); he also gets some of the BEST lines in the entire series! In one esp. poignant scene, Fiddler stops in his tracks, recognizing a lullaby that Kunta sings. He swears that HIS grandmother sang that song, too.
Belle is a female slave who feels sympathy for Kunta. She convinces Dr. Waller to get Kunta to care for his horses and drive him around to patients. Belle looks after him when he’s near death, and they grow to love each other (over the span of 10 yrs.) Belle (though still youthful) has a painful past, BUT decides to marry Kunta and start a new life. They have a daughter, who Kunta names “Kizzie.” Now he is firmly rooted in America, yet still VERY much an African in his heart and mind.
Part 2
Never let them take your mind. -Kunta tells his daughter
Kizzie becomes a companion to the Waller’s daughter, who insists on teaching her to read. BUT (of course) this is the SAME reason that she is sold “down the river” when she reaches adolescence. Kizzie ends ups at a small farm in South Carolina owned by an alcoholic, violent gambler- Tom Lea (British actor Jonathan Rhys Myers). The first time, Kizzie fights w/ ALL her strength to stop her new master, BUT to no avail.In time, she has a son, who Tom names “George” (after his father). Kizzie, who gathers up the strength of Kunta, Belle, and her ancestors, decides that she’ll endure for her son to have a better life.
Part 3
Kunta’s daughter, Kizzie (Anika Noni Rose), worries for the future of her son on Tom Lea’s farm.
In some odd way, Tom seeks to be closer to his (unclaimed) young son, which causes Kizzie (American theater/TV actress Anika Noni Rose) great pain. Tom announces that the older slave, Mingo (who handles the cocks and goes to fights w/ him), will teach George. It turns out that Chicken George (as he is called) has a natural gift w/ these animals!
Chicken George (Rege-Jean Page)
Chicken George (British newcomer Rege-Jean Page) grows up and falls in love w/ Matilda, a slave from a neighboring plantation. Her father is a no-nonsense minister (on his day off), while Kizzie doesn’t believe in the Christian god. Chicken George keeps making money for Tom, gets respect for his talent/hard work from the local cockfighters (of all colors), and eventually marries Matilda.
You have no honor, Tom Lea! -Chicken George shouts to his master/father
In time, the gentlemen planters even warm to the Leas, though they are from low birth and Tom is of Irish heritage. Kizzie fears that things can go wrong at ANY moment, b/c of Tom’s volatile temper. There is an explosive scene between Chicken George and Tom, where we realize how low a master can go (even when the matter at hand is his OWN blood). BOTH Page and Rhys Meyers shine in this scene; however, these men are eclipsed by Rose, who is a standout in this series.
Part 4
There’s no wrong way to be a slave.-Chicken George explains to his son, Tom
This is the weakest of the episodes, BUT does have some good moments. We see Chicken George join up w/ one of the “African” regiments of the Union army. One of his son’s, Tom, becomes a skilled blacksmith. Like his father, he earns money for his master, and raises a family w/ his part-Cherokee wife.
The free descendants of Kunta Kinte leave the Murray plantation in South Carolina to start their new lives.
Tom straddles that conflicting (yet exhilarating) time between slavery and Emancipation, working hard to keep his anger and resentment in check. The descendants of Kunta Kinte grow in number and take their place as free black Americans. There is a LOT more (which I haven’t discussed above)- check this show out for yourself!
Salman Rushdie continues to be a controversial figure, but in today’s world, I feel that voices like his (British, Indian, and atheist) need to be heard MORE than ever! Depending on your age, you may know Rushdie from the fatwa (which was placed on him by Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran), his cameo on Bridget Jones’ Diary, or his short-lived marriage to Padma Lakhshmi (of Top Chef fame). Or maybe you have a FEW of his books (BUT are intimidated to read)? A few years ago, a book club I organized both read Haroun and the Sea of Stories, which is Rushdie’s YA book.
*NOTE: Special thanks to my friend Lana for above photo and taking notes.
The Beginning of Rushdie’s Life as a Writer:
He realized that he would never write a good book until he knew who he was (not English, but Indian).
He was part of first generation of free Indian Children.
His father told bedtime stories (oral tradition strong in his family)- animal stories; tales of heroes. His mother told local tales: gossip, scandal, secrets (when he included in stories, she said he “got in trouble”). One of his academic grandfathers took him to university library, where he discovered Agatha Christie. His other grandfather was a very religious man (prayed 5X/day, fasted, etc.) He was also open to any/all ideas; Rushdie admitted that he didn’t believe in God (age 10).
Read comics from early age. He was lucky to have a lending library/bookstore nearby where he got into Perry Mason mysteries, Alice in Wonderland.
The Wizard of Oz (film) inspired him to write his first story at age 10.
His family had a tradition of kissing books and bread to apologize to it and place someplace where wouldn’t happen again (food for mind; food for the body).
Left Bombay 1961 for English boarding school at age 13 (his idea, not his parents’). Maybe he had an”unnoticed love of adventure” b/c was quiet as a child?
Got into Cambridge, but didn’t want to go b/ c of racism faced at boarding school earlier. He went and enjoyed it a lot; studied history; wrote for student newspaper. He also got into Borges and Joyce at this time, and learned about incident of satanic verses (in his last semester).
His parents moved to Karachi, Pakistan; this was not an appealing place for him. His father initially disapproved, but then supported his return to England after he graduated from Cambridge.
Wrote TV commercials and scripts in London for an ad agency (where he worked part-time). In the early 1970s, he wrote and published, but these works were not successful because he hadn’t known himself enough. He decided to understand what he was doing wrong and traveled to India, which entered state of emergency (1977).
Midnight’s Children: Started in 3rd person, but then told from Salim’s voice and it was better (voice not my own, but gave me voice). Kept working in advertising again to pay bills. This book took 5 years to write it because was learning how to write. He also needed to blend news with fiction.
Quotes:
Geography is key [to a person’s writing]. Writers (like Faulkner): Have roots/history and can mine the earth for a lifetime of stories.
Work we do about the past, changes the future.
As we discover, we remember, as we remember, we discover.
Stories are not true- but can make you know truths that truths cannot tell.
Can’t write until you hear people speak, because can’t tell their story if you don’t hear their voice.
I think the greatest gift my family gave me was freethinking.
[On his trip to India when writing Midnight’s Children]: From childhood, dig out memories from attics of mind. Healing of rift within myself that separated me from my past… drank deeply from well of India.
Write what you know, but only if what you know is interesting.
Knightleyemma 