Acacia Theatre Adapts Jane Austen's 'Emma'

Concerning the headstrong heroine of her fourth novel, Emma, author Jane Austen said she had created a character that not many people would like. In spite of Austen's estimation, however, the independently wealthy and overconfident Emma Woodhouse has endured over the years.

This week, Acacia Theatre brings Emma's story to the stage in an adaptation by Jon Jory, longtime producing director of the Actors Theatre of Louisville. Jory's adaptations, which also include Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, have been praised for their clarity and resonance. For Emma, Austen's novel is crystallized into scenes that maximize the drama without compromising the personality that makes the work so popular.

Director Stacy Becker says she has confidence in the script. “I like this adaptation of the play because it moves so quickly from scene to scene. It has an almost dream-like or reflective quality to it,” Becker says. “It works very well to give the important themes and ideas of the novel while still moving fast enough to hold our attention.”

Acacia Theatre's production of Emma runs July 15-24 at Concordia University's Todd Wehr Auditorium. To reserve tickets, call 414-744-5995.

Theater Happenings

• This weekend, Door Shakespeare opens an outdoor production of Twelfth Night. The show runs July 8-Aug. 21 at Bjorklunden Lodge in Baileys Harbor. To reserve tickets, call 920-839-1500.

• Closer to home, Broadway Across America brings the hit musical Jersey Boys to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. The story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons runs July 20-Aug. 14. To reserve tickets, call 414-273-7206.