SENSE AND SENSIBILITY: The Story of Head vs. Heart

From left to right, Del Lovejoy as Elinor, Amélie Davis-Quiroz as Marianne, Makayla Lloyd as Margaret, and Noah Merz as Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility at Waukesha Civic Theatre. Photo credit: Anne Kenny Creative.

A review of Sense and Sensibility

by Charlie Fetters, age 15

The story of Sense and Sensibility—a classic tale about unpredictable love by Jane Austen—follows the Dashwood sisters (calm, logical Elinor and passionate, romantic Marianne), as they navigate their father’s death and the events that follow it. Though I myself am a big reader, I have yet to get around to reading many of the classics, including the works by Jane Austen, so walking into this Waukesha Civic Theatre production, I had little idea of what to expect. I was extremely intrigued by the costuming, set, and technical aspects of this show. The creative team took inspiration from Netflix’s series Bridgerton: vibrant costumes and hair, a gorgeous set, and classical versions of today’s hits as the backing music. Though this show wasn’t very historically accurate in terms of production, it was unique from other period pieces I’ve seen; I found the whimsy in it very fun.

The costumes (designed by Sarah Jo Martens) were some of the most fascinating parts of this show. I think they were incredibly beautiful and suitable for the characters. More specifically, I think the hair and attire of the three Dashwood sisters, as well as their suitors were incredibly well done—I found myself admiring them during less eventful scenes. However, I noticed that some costumes on other actors were unshapely or ill-fitted. Oftentimes, certain aspects were too baggy or big on an actor, which I found to be distracting from the show from time to time. Overall, though, I think the designer did an excellent job at creating characters through outfits.

The set was a central part of this production. I enjoyed how versatile it was, with sections on either side that unfolded to uncover living zones and new areas, as well as a gate that opened and closed for outdoor and indoor scenes. I also appreciated the painting details; the color scheme really helped tie each scene together, and I feel like it worked well, regardless of where the characters were. The set designer (Evan Crain) used the negative space on stage in a very intelligent way, and I find that to be one of the most important parts of shows.

This set also included lighting pillars that would shine different colors for each scene and event that took place. This use of light and color to represent different emotions and locations was an integral part to the production, though I did find it distracting at times. There seemed to have been technical difficulties with these pillars specifically during the preview performance that I saw. They often flickered, or turned on and off randomly, and I found it a bit difficult to focus on the plot with this in the background. 

Though I admired the music used in the background and enjoyed realizing I knew what song it was, it did become a bit distracting for more serious and eventful situations. For example, during one of Elinor’s most climactic moments, an instrumental interpretation of “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo played; while I have nothing against this selection of music, it became difficult to focus on the scene.

Overall, this modern spin on the Jane Austen classic is an excellent example of making a show your own. It was a strong production, even with minor flaws. If you are a fan of Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte, or other Regency era pieces, this production is a fantastic outlet for that same love.

Catch more shows like this at Waukesha Civic Theatre!