Ephraim-Persuasion, a Jane Austen novel that was actually published after her death in 1817, has been brought to the Snow College Theatre stage by local acclaimed playwright Melissa Leilani Larsen and directed by Jenn Chandler. Larsen’s works have graced various stages all over Utah the entire 13 years I have been a critic in Utah, and she has gained international fame, with a show opening up in London at the end of this month. Snow choosing to visit her classic adaptation of Persuasion is exciting, and worth the drive to San Pete County.
One of the things I enjoy most about a good production is a well done playbill. This does not need to be translated into a costly program. Snow’s program was a simple one page folded handout, but the information was impactful. My favorite part was the director’s note by Chandler, with the information on the Japanese art of Kintsugi, something that means enough to me that I have a personal piece of Kintsugi, pottery that has been broken and resealed with gold into something more beautiful than before, in my therapeutic practice office. Chandler’s note discussed how this art inspired her direction for the show, and it shows throughout the production. One of the first, most clear inspirations was in the set design, by Trent Bean. The beautiful backdrop projection, as well as some of the walls on the set, displayed some Kintsugi pottery, and as an aficionado of the art form, I was quite taken by the immediate aesthetic that the imagery built. Leaning into this theme of broken hearts throughout the story was a much more simple leap when looking upon a set that not only portrayed the broken parts, but the hope of eventual resealing in a more beautiful way.
The costume design by Jess Wallace was exactly what one would expect for the time period. What was most enjoyable was some of the lavishness placed upon certain characters, such as the outfits worn by the pompous Sir Walter Elliot, played with an air of excellent frivolity by Connor Power. This was contrasted in an interesting fashion by the dress of Anne Elliot, played by Chloe Hannah, whose dress was arguably the most beautiful of the evening, but Wallace had somehow managed to make that possible without giving her the ostentatious feeling of her other family members.
Hannah as Anne was quite impressive with her stoic nature, which was matched deliciously next to characters like her sister Mary, played with such excellent melodramatic flair by Ruby Bagley. Bagley’s performance could have almost been seen as over the top if a person did not understand the genre of an Austen romance, and how her character is meant to be portrayed. Bagley leans in to the farce with full force, and in doing so shows the tragedy of Anne needing to be strong in the face of heartache. Hannah as Anne is met well chemistry wise with Joshua Peterson as Captain Wentworth, who likewise is held back and reserved amongst the rest of the cast of frivolity.
One of the best parts of this adaptation is the choice to have flashbacks to the beginning of this story, the part where the pottery becomes broken. Young Anne, played by Shayla Florence, has such a joyful spirit and the way that Hannah looks back at Florence as a memory of someone she used to be before life took its toll was haunting and heart-wrenching in its authenticity. The direction that Chandler was able to work with these actresses was fantastic, and then adding in Landon Bulloch as Young Frederick, and seeing the quartet of players act out and observe falling in and out of love, and the pain and heartache that ensues when one is, well, persuaded to make choices that may not match the desires of the heart was a master class in good acting and good stage direction.
As I have said each time that I end up at a show at a college in Utah, but most especially it seems at some of the smaller colleges off the beaten path in our state, it truly is surprising how much talent and entertainment we can see when we seek it out. Snow College charges ten dollars for the price of admission, and these days, one cannot go to the movies or get a full meal for that. Even factoring in the gas that I spent to drive two hours to see the show, I know that it was financially more worthwhile than a lot of what I can see in my own area. The level of thought and dedication that this production team took into thematic elements, coupled with the hard work and dedication of the cast to tell a beautiful story, created a masterpiece of Larsen’s words, indeed something far more beautiful than perhaps the original creation that Austen penned over 200 years ago.
Persuasion plays October 14th and 15th at 7:30pm at the Kim Christison Theatre in the Eccles Performing Arts Center on Snow College Campus. 150 College Ave, Ephraim, Utah 84627. Tickets are $8-10.
