Tantrum Theater’s “Pride and Prejudice” allows students to take risks with creative designs
According to the opening line of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” one of life’s universal truths is that “a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Tantrum Theater’s adaptation of the seminal novel explores the implications of this statement, all while proving yet another universal truth: a play is nothing without scenic design.
Sophia Rooksberry | October 30, 2024
Share:
The set of “Pride and Prejudice” was designed by Princess Ibeh, a third-year graduate student studying scenic design. As a fan of the book since childhood, the choice between designing this play or Tantrum Theater’s spring production, “The Prom,” was an easy one for Ibeh to make.
“At the first meeting with the director, I realized she was doing something totally different,” Ibeh said. “It was not the regular ‘Pride and Prejudice’ everybody was expecting.”
The concept was to take “the game of love” literally: each character as a player on a game show, complete with player stations and sponsorship logos. The concept was described by props manager Grace Easterday as “taking this very traditional type of play and throwing some fun at it.”
Easterday graduated with an MFA in props technologies in May and found her way back to Tantrum Theater as she looked for local work in Athens.
“I hope (the props design) helps enhance the world of the show, that’s really what props tries to do,” Easterday said. “We had a saying develop in the shop over my time as a student: the set is a house but props make it a home.”