‘Emma’: Regency With a Twist

Contemporary Music, diverse cast, inventive costumes mark TDPS’ modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic tale.

By Jessica Weiss ’05 | Maryland Today

The scene in a grand ballroom is straight out of a Jane Austen novel: women wearing gloves and flowing gowns, men clad in tailcoats, the careful formality of a Regency-era dance. But as Rihanna's "Diamonds" sounds throughout the room, it becomes clear this isn’t your great-great-great-great-grandma’s ball. In a bold departure from the traditions of Austen’s time, the witty heroine seizes her partner and dips him low.

The University of Maryland School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ production of Austen’s “Emma,” playing at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center through Thursday, combines the charm of early 19th-century England with a diverse cast and modern touches. Leading the way is junior Drew Okoye in the role of Austen’s famed matchmaker Emma Woodhouse, a fiercely independent young woman of high social standing.

"Emma" is set in a world of rules, hierarchy and societal expectations, but like Netflix’s smash hit "Bridgerton," the production casts a modern eye to themes like women’s rights, class dynamics and individual agency that make it relevant to contemporary audiences.

“In this time and society it was all about a woman getting married. That’s what you were meant to do—and we’re not changing the story, but in our show you’ll see little things that may surprise you,” said Okoye.

In one scene, Emma, whose love of orchestrating relationships belies the passive roles women were expected to play, sports a cropped jacket in the vein of a “Spencer,” a short, fitted garment popular during the Regency period. For women of the time, Spencer jackets were designed to be worn outdoors, offering warmth without covering a dress' empire waistline and flowing form.
 
But in UMD’s production, Emma’s jacket has a contemporary aesthetic—resembling a blazer. Alongside the pearls and rhinestones characteristic of the time, it also features ultramodern 3D flowers.

Director Lisa Murphy-Nathans, associate professor of theatre performance, said she first fell in love with the tale of Emma as a teen watching the 1995 adaptation “Clueless,” starring Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd.

“That brilliant adaptation is fun and relatable, and proved to me that this story is timeless. It’s about love, it’s about family, it’s about friendship. It’s about honor and pride,” she said. “It’s both very simple and very complex.”

Like “Bridgerton,” Murphy-Nathans wanted to blur the lines of past and present for TDPS’ production, including challenging representation and traditional gender roles. While the 12 actors in the cast portray traditional manners and conduct—think bows and curtsies—and speak with British accents, they are also encouraged to let their own identities meld with their characters.

“This is ultimately a story about relationships and about love, and love has no bounds. Nor does it always have to be defined in the most traditional of ways,” Murphy-Nathans said.