May 1, 2025 – August 2, 2025
“Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience – or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.”
–Elinor Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Step into the world of Jane Austen’s beloved characters as the American Shakespeare Center brings Sense and Sensibility to life on stage.
With humor, wit, and timeless insights, this adaptation by Emma Whipday with Brian McMahon captures the elegance and complexity of the Dashwood Sisters’ world, where sensibility meets resilience and duty confronts desire.
Whether you’re an Austen devotee or new to her work, Sense and Sensibility will charm and resonate with you, offering a captivating journey through love and loyalty.
View our Summer Program online.
Cast
Geoffrey Warren Barnes II is a gifted actor whose compelling and elegant performances light up the ASC stage and beyond.
Colonel Brandon
Jordan Friend is a gifted actor, music director and composer whose compelling and elegant performances light up the ASC stage and beyond.
Komi M. Gbeblewou is a gifted actor whose compelling and elegant performances light up the ASC stage and beyond.
Tristan Rose Gillia is a gifted actor whose compelling and elegant performances light up the ASC stage and beyond.
Corrie Green is an Actor and Dance Captain at the American Shakespeare Center and performs as Belle and Belinda in A Christmas Carol 2024.
Sara J. Griffin is a gifted actor whose compelling and elegant performances light up the ASC stage and beyond.
Angela Iannone is a celebrated actor, known for her nuanced performances and captivating presence at ASC and beyond.
L James is a gifted actor whose compelling and elegant performances light up the ASC stage and beyond.
Raven Lorraine is a dynamic performer whose captivating talent and bold storytelling shine on the ASC stage and beyond.
Artistic Team
Jemma Alix Levy is the founding Artistic Director of Muse of Fire Theatre Company, an Asst. Professor of Theater at Washington & Lee University.
Alaina Shefelton, is an Assistant director at the American Shakespeare Center for the 2025 Summer Season.
Dr. Emma Whipday is a playwright and academic. She is Lecturer in Renaissance Literature at Newcastle University, UK.
Thomas J. Coppola was part of the American Shakespeare Center from 2015 to 2025.
Tenley Pitonzo is an experienced stage manager whose expertise ensures seamless productions at ASC and theatres across the country.
Rachael Sheffer, Assistant Stage Manager at the American Shakespeare Center.
Kaela A.C. Wilson, Assistant Stage Manager at the American Shakespeare Center.
Music Director/Composer
Jordan Friend is a gifted actor, music director and composer whose compelling and elegant performances light up the ASC stage and beyond.
Doreen Bechtol is a seasoned movement consultant, actor, and educator with extensive experience in theatre, choreography, and original devised works.
Elizabeth Wislar is a costume designer at the American Shakespeare Center. Explore her theatre experience and education.
Marie Lupia served at the American Shakespeare Center from 2022–2025.
Amy Monsalve is Wardrobe Manager & Design Assistant at the ASC, recognized for her attention to detail and passion for bringing costumes to life.
Trina Yager is the Costume Coordinator & Wardrobe Supervisor at the American Shakespeare Center.
Conrad Gothard worked at the American Shakespeare Center from 2023 – 2026
Braden Miller is a skilled Prop Shop Artisan with experience bringing contemporary productions to life.
Assistant Prop Shop Manager/Artisan
Danielle Pecchioli is a Prop Artisan at the American Shakespeare Center.
D. Scarlet Frishman is a dedicated Wardrobe Assistant and versatile theatre artist with a passion for storytelling and costume design.
Haley Fentriss Roberts is an accomplished Intimacy Choreographer dedicated to fostering meaningful connections on stage at ASC and beyond.
Cory Douylliez-Willis is a skilled Dance Choreographer with expertise in contemporary, jazz, ballet, & tap. His work brings movement to ASC & beyond.
Acting Fellow
Maggie Lengerich is an Acting Fellow at the American Shakespeare Center.
Molly Minter is an Acting Fellow at the American Shakespeare Center.
Kathleen Mitchell is a passionate performer whose compelling portrayals bring Shakespearean and contemporary characters to life at ASC and beyond.
Pete Sheldon is a versatile performer and musician whose passion for Shakespearean theatre and dynamic storytelling shine at ASC and beyond.
Katy Shinas is an Acting Fellow at the American Shakespeare Center.
Kyle Showalter is a versatile performer and theatre artist whose dynamic talent shines in productions at ASC and beyond.
Julia Sommer is a versatile performer and theatre artist whose dynamic talent shines in productions at ASC and beyond.
Emmett Temple is a is a versatile performer and theatre artist whose dynamic talent shines in productions at ASC and beyond.
Nick Trusty, Acting Fellow at the American Shakespeare Center.
From gasps and laughter to teary-eyed smiles, real audience members are raving about Sense & Sensibility at the Blackfriars Playhouse.
Live theatre. Shared light. Honest responses. Come experience it for yourself.
- On his deathbed, Mr. Dashwood asks his son, John, to care for his stepmother and half-sisters, Elinor and Marianne.
- John’s wife, Fanny, persuades him to severely reduce his sisters’ inheritance and move into Norland Park, the family home.
- Fanny’s brother, Edward Ferrars, visits and forms a close bond with Elinor. Fanny’s disapproval prompts Mrs. Dashwood to seek a new home despite their very limited income.
- The Dashwood women relocate to Barton Cottage in Devonshire on the estate of another relation, Sir John Middleton.
- Sir John and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings, warmly welcome the Dashwoods and introduce them to Colonel Brandon.
- Colonel Brandon quickly becomes enamored with Marianne after hearing her sing.
While walking near her home, Marianne injures her ankle and is aided by the charming John Willoughby, who soon wins her affection. - Marianne and Willoughby openly display their feelings, exceeding social norms.
During a picnic at Colonel Brandon’s home, he abruptly departs for London after receiving a letter. - Willoughby privately speaks with Marianne, leading her family to expect a proposal. Instead, he leaves for London, leaving Marianne inconsolable.
- Mrs. Jennings introduces Miss Lucy Steele, who confides in Elinor that she has been secretly engaged to Edward for years.
- As secrets surface and futures hang in the balance, the sisters travel to London with Mrs. Jennings, hoping for answers—and fearing more disappointment.
Heartbreak, complete and utter despair, and happy endings ensue . . .
(Director Jemma Levy and Assistant Director Alaina Shefelton at the Sense & Sensibility Table Read 2025.
Photo By Madison Patterson.)
What is the lasting appeal of Jane Austen’s stories? Like Shakespeare, Austen seems to have found a way of speaking to the human condition that pierces through the passing of time.
Despite differences in social, cultural, and political norms, Austen’s characters still feel recognizable and familiar. I can see my teenage daughter in the impetuous and strong-willed Marianne. I can see myself in Elinor’s self-martyrdom. Some of my closest friends and neighbors have the joy and enthusiasm (and insatiable appetite for gossip) of Sir John and Mrs. Jennings. And we certainly still see romantic entanglements reminiscent of those that plague the Dashwood sisters.
I hope that Emma Whipday’s beautiful and wonderfully theatrical adaptation speaks to you today, with whatever experiences you bring, sitting in this theatre at this moment. I hope these characters and their struggles and triumphs feel like they are part of your world, and not some long-ago, once-upon-a-time in a land far far away.
And I hope that you find in this story something that connects you to others, for it is in these connections that we find the confidence to believe in the future.
– Jemma Alix Levy