Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In ARE THE BENNET GIRLS OK?, Emily Breeze alters a Jane Austen classic just enough to register with a punch

• By drediman
• October 8, 2025
• No Comments

The folks over at Bedlam are no strangers to the literary works of Jane Austen, having scored a hit with their freewheeling stage adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Now they’ve turned their attention to the author’s other equally recognizable creation, Pride and Prejudice. But instead of drawing directly from the book, playwright Emily Breeze has chosen to take certain liberties — and rename her stage adaptation to Are the Bennet Girls Ok? — in order to make a more meaningful connection between the romantic excalades of the Bennet sisters and contemporary audiences.

In her boldly theatrical revision, Breeze by and large retains the spirit of Austen’s popular novel while modifying it just enough — with plot alterations, updated language (e.g., contemporary turns of phrase), etc. — so that it lands with an emphatic punch, namely as it relates to the sisters’ agency in their lives (no spoilers here). Thankfully, however, the essence of the five Bennett sisters remains undiminished, just placed in a slightly alternative universe. They’re portrayed with terrific vibrancy and personality by a quintet of eclectic actresses, the standouts being Masha Breeze’s awkward and hilariously misunderstood Mary, as well as Elyse Steingold’s whip smart and stubbornly uncompromising Lizzie. Bedlam usual suspect Zuzanna Szadkowski and relative newcomer Edoardo Benzoni are also vividly spot-on as Mrs. Bennett and all the men in the story, respectively. Suffice to say, there’s tremendous trust built in amongst the entirety of the fine cast.

As with most Bedlam shows, the Off-Broadway production has been helmed by the company’s longtime artistic director Eric Tucker, whose directorial work generally tends to keep design elements subordinated to the collective storytelling. The same is true of Are the Bennet Girls Ok?, which features a functional, modestly suggestive multi-tiered set by John McDermott and is at its freshest and most robust when the ensemble takes the lead in driving the narrative forward. Indeed, in these seemingly devised — almost improvisational — sequences, the breathless beats of the performances are a thrill to witness.

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ARE THE BENNET GIRLS OK?
Off-Broadway, Play
Bedlam
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through November 9