Mansfield Park

Fanny Price, an intelligent, sensitive, and quiet young woman, is unceremoniously dumped by her unloving parents into the noisy household of her uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, where she’s buffeted from one crisis to the next.  One thing remains certain in her mind, however. . . her love for charismatic Edmund Bertram.  Fanny must battle family duty and everyone’s expectations of her in order to achieve her happiness.  Will she be forced to marry the well-connected Henry Crawford or can she triumph over her adopted family’s demands and have the man of her dreams?  This is a crisp new adaptation which reveals Austen not as a prissy creator of romantic fiction, but as a moral satirist of enormous stature; the real and unexpected voice of another age.

#### **CAST**

* Brynn Artley as Mary Crawford
* Fletcher Aylin as Charles Price
* Maddie Bauer as Fanny Price
* Joey Benson as Young Tom Bertram
* Charlie Black as Mr. Price
* Kevin Dahle as Sir Thomas Bertram
* Kosmo Esplan as Young Edmund Bertram/Tom Price
* Alison Haider as Maria Bertram
* Josie Hauck as Young Fanny Price/Betsey Price
* Pauline Jennings as Mrs. Norris
* Logan Ledman as Mr. James Rushworth
* Beka Mihalik as Susan Price
* Haley Moore as Young Maria Bertram
* Ben Pelegano as Henry Crawford
* Noah Schomburg as Tom Bertram/William Price
* Linda Temple as Mrs. Price
* Samuel Temple as Edmund Bertram

#### **CREW**

Directed by

* Rachel Haider

Stage Managed by

* Deb Clark

Produced by

* Liz Brekke

Set by

* Susan Carlson (Set Designer)
* Tim Peterson (Master Builder/Paint Crew)
* Deb Clark (Paint Crew)
* Kosmo Esplan (Paint Crew)
* Bob Haider (Paint Crew)
* Rachel Haider (Paint Crew)
* Bob LeClair (Paint Crew)
* Silas Leer (Paint Crew)
* Kyra Reverman (Paint Crew)
* Maria Reverman (Paint Crew)
* Noah Schomburg (Paint Crew)

Costumes by

* Helen Dillon (Costumer)

Lights and Sound by

* Alex Pagel (Light Designer/Operator)
* Rachel Haider (Sound Designer)
* Sigrid Zillmer (Sound Board Operator)

Props by

* Emily Oberto (Props Designer)
* Marc Robinson (Props Designer)
* Sasha Middeldorp (Props Assistance)

Choreography by

* Lexi Temple (Choreographer)

Photography by

* Elin Odegaard (Headshot/Promotional/Archival Photographer)
* Linda Temple (Co-Promotional Photographer)

Posters by

* Brent Kivell (Poster Designer)

Special Thanks to

* Greg Bauer
* Birch Carlson
* Bridget A. Draxler
* Jill Erickson of Synergy Salon for a hair design workshop
* Krin Finger at Rare Pair
* Paula Granquist of ArtZany Radio
* Bob Haider
* Candice Hern
* Anne Kopas of Northfield News
* Rachel Miessler
* Sasha Middeldorp
* Northfield Public Library
* Norman Oberto
* Lori Oberto
* Allison Oberto
* Elin Odegaard
* Luke Panciera
* Todd Reverman
* Maria Reverman
* St. Olaf Book Club
* Joan Spaulding of The Hideaway Coffeehouse and Wine Bar
* Jessica White and Myrna Mibus of Content Bookstore
* Abby Wilson
* Our Front of House Volunteers
* Anyone we may have inadvertently missed

#### **LOCATIONS**

Northamptonshire, England

* Mansfield Park
* Mansfield Parsonage
* The Old Schoolroom in Mansfield Manor
* Sotherton Court

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

* The Price Household
* The Street

London, England

* The Frazers' Party

#### **TIMELINE**

1803

* Mrs. Price writes to her sister Mrs. Norris about being pregnant with another child, who is later revealed to be Betsey Price.
* Mrs. Norris reads the letter and convinces her sister Lady Bertram's husband Sir Thomas Bertram, owner of Mansfield Park, to take in Mrs. Price's eldest daughter.
* Mrs. Norris takes Fanny Price, age ten, to Mansfield Park, lecturing her on the female gender and Mansfield.
* Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram's children, Mrs. Norris' niece and nephew, and Fanny's cousins Maria and Tom Bertram, thirteen and fourteen, respectively, complain to Mrs. Norris about Fanny, calling her cheap, stupid, and shy.
* Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram's youngest child, Mrs. Norris' nephew, and Fanny's other cousin Edmund Bertram, age eleven, is the only one who is kind to Fanny and cheers her up, and she quickly falls in love with him.

1810

* Fanny and Edmund, extremely close friends now, discuss a book as Tom continues his alcoholism.
* Sir Thomas scolds Tom and says that the living of Mansfield shouldn't go to him anymore, but Edmund.
* Fanny says that there are two new people coming to Mansfield -- the Reverend and Mrs. Grant, as well as two half-siblings of Mrs. Grant, Henry Crawford (who has an estate in Norfolk) and Mary Crawford (who has twenty-thousand pounds). Hearing twenty-thousand pounds, this interests Tom.
* Henry and Mary arrive at the parsonage, discussing the people who live at Mansfield. Mary tells Henry that there's a young woman named Miss Maria Bertram who could make him very happy. Henry asks if there's a brother, and when he hears the answer, he says that Mary naturally prefers the eldest.
* Sir Thomas prepares to leave for Antigua with Tom for a full year, discussing what should happen while he's gone with Fanny, Edmund, and Maria. Sir Thomas tells Fanny that she can invite her older brother William Price to Mansfield if Lady Bertram's health improves. He depends on them to keep a quiet and sober household while he's gone, and then leaves with Tom.
* Henry and Mary come to Mansfield during a ball, as well as Maria's fiancé Mr. James Rushworth. Henry and Mary dance together, as do Maria and Mr. Rushworth. Mrs. Norris, whose husband Reverend Norris is now deceased, is also present with Fanny and Edmund.
* After dancing, the group chat for a little bit, and Mary mentions how her and Henry's uncle Admiral Crawford bought a house for them in Twickenham, but later moved his mistress in and them out. Henry, however, has a more positive view of Admiral Crawford.

**MENTIONED**

Reverend Norris

* by Mrs. Norris and Sir Thomas

Lady Bertram

* by Sir Thomas, Mrs. Norris, Mary, Fanny, Edmund, Maria, and Henry

The Reverend

* by Fanny

Mrs. Grant

* by Fanny, Edmund, and Maria

Admiral Crawford

* by Henry and Mary

Mrs. Rushworth

* by Mrs. Norris, Edmund, Henry, Mary, and Maria

Lord Ravenshaw

* by Tom and Edmund

Shylock (from *The Merchant of Venice*)

* by Henry

Richard III

* by Henry

Jackson

* by Tom and Sir Thomas

Agatha (from *Lovers' Vows*)

* by Maria and Mary

Amelia (from *Lovers' Vows*)

* by Tom and Mary

Anhalt (from *Lovers' Vows*)

* by Mary and Edmund

The Cottager's Wife (from *Lovers' Vows*)

* by Tom

Charles Maddox

* by Tom

Frederick (from *Lovers' Vows*)

* by Maria

Rebecca the Price's Housekeeper

* by Mrs. Price, Susan, Betsey, and Fanny

Doctor Grant

* by Sir Thomas

#### ***LOVERS' VOWS***

A little past the middle of act one, Tom comes back from Antigua and tells Fanny, Edmund, Maria, Mary, and Henry about he was to take part in the play *Lovers' Vows* at Lord Ravenshaw's place, but Ravenshaw's mother died two days before opening, which destroyed their plan. However, Maria suggests that they open a theatre at Mansfield Park and Tom could be the manager. Edmund is against it entirely, but Tom, Maria, Henry, and Mary find that Sir Thomas' study is the place to perform.

Edmund is still extremely opposed to the idea, but all the others except Fanny try to think of a suitable play. Henry comes up with *Othello*, but Mary doesn't want any "ranting tragedies"; Tom says *The School for Scandal*; Maria believes that *Hamlet* is a good piece, but Tom says it's too many characters and suggests *The Rivals*, though Maria doesn't agree with it; Mary says she saw *The Wheel of Fortune* in London, but Maria says that there's not a tolerable woman's part in all five acts. And finally, Tom comes up with the final decision: *Lovers' Vows*.

Edmund is now more disagreeable than ever, and the group starts to cast people in the roles.

* Agatha: Maria Bertram
* "A Character With Few Speeches Who Never Meets Agatha": Mr. James Rushworth
* Amelia: Mary Crawford

As Mary is cast as Amelia, she asks "what gentleman will [she] have the pleasure of making love to?", making everyone uncomfortable. By now, Mrs. Norris has agreed to the idea, and Tom wants Fanny to act the part of The Cottager's Wife, though she doesn't want to act. Tom and Mrs. Norris pressure her while Edmund stands up for her.