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Bringing Jane Austen to Life at the Blackfriars Playhouse

Corrie Green and Sara J Griffin as Marianne and Elinor are seated at a Picnic, dressed in period attire for Sense and Sensibility at the American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, VA. Photo by Madison Patterson.

(Cover Photo: Corrie Green and Sara J. Griffin in Sense and Sensibility. Photo by Madison Patterson.)

Planning your summer vacation in Virginia?

Make a stop in Staunton for Sense and Sensibility  at the American Shakespeare Center—where Jane Austen meets shared light in the first ever re-creation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre.

What does it take to turn a beloved novel into live theatre that grabs you by the heart? Director Jemma Alix Levy reveals the bold cuts, unexpected joys, and fearless focus that make this Sense and Sensibility unlike any you’ve seen.

Lights ON Blackfriars: Recorded Live on May 2, 2025
With Director Jemma Alix Levy
Sense and Sensibility on Stage Now through August 2, 2025
Blackfriars Playhouse – Staunton, VA

A Director’s Vision: Jemma Alix Levy on Austen Without Apology

“I never got the acting bug,” said director Jemma Alix Levy. “I just 100% never wanted to be an actor.”

Levy came to Sense and Sensibility not as an Austen loyalist, but as a clear-eyed storyteller. “It let me focus on this play—on the story Emma [Whipday] was telling.”

Whipday’s script, adapted from the novel and first staged on ASC’s tour, was refined for the intimacy of the Blackfriars Playhouse. “Every single time [Emma] has been very forthcoming,” Levy said. “She doesn’t always give us what we want, but she explains why.”

Designed for Blackfriars: Cut the Duel, Keep the Joy

A duel from the touring version? Gone. “We didn’t need a big flashy duel moment,” Levy said. “We have grabbed them already—simply by being in the space with them.”

Instead, she chased joy. “Despite the hardships in this story, I think it’s overall a play about joy. And I wanted to find the places where we the audience get to join in that joy.”

The Real Love Story: Sisters, Not Suitors

“I was really, really interested in the story of the sisters,” Levy said. “To me it’s really a love story about two sisters.”

With few soliloquies in the script, Levy relied on nuance and actor-audience connection to elevate Eleanor Dashwood’s inner life. “There are moments when the mask drops … and you get to see who she really is.”

No Apologies for Agency

“We didn’t change any text,” Levy said of the Willoughby plot. “But we managed to tell a slightly different version … so that we don’t lose the sense that this is not okay.”

She added: “I don’t ever want to create a story where somebody in the audience could mistakenly go, ‘Oh, that’s how women should behave.’ Even accidentally.”

For Shakespeare Fans Looking for Something New

“If you love Shakespeare for the humanity, you’ll find that here,” Levy said. “Austen is telling stories about people. Real people.”

And in ASC’s signature shared light, those people feel close enough to touch.

Celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday in Staunton, VA

Honor Austen’s legacy with live theatre in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. See Sense and Sensibility—performed in repertory with The Winter’s Tale—at the Blackfriars Playhouse all summer long. Stay for the show, explore downtown Staunton, hike the Blue Ridge, and sip your way through nearby vineyards.

Summer Theatre Meets Summer Travel

Sense and Sensibility is now playing in Staunton, Virginia through August 2, 2025. Whether you’re an Austen devotee or discovering her for the first time, this is a story to be lived, not just read.

Join Us at the Next Lights ON Blackfriars – June 6

Come back for more behind-the-scenes conversations and artistic deep dives at our next Lights ON Blackfriars event on Friday, June 6. This time, go inside The Winter’s Tale with director Raphael Emmanuel and scholar Dr. Peter Kirwan. 

About Lights ON Blackfriars

Lights ON Blackfriars is the American Shakespeare Center’s monthly pre-show talk series, offering behind-the-scenes conversations with artists, scholars, and creators working on each production. Held live at the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, VA, these events are ticketed and open to all audience members.

Catch More Conversations

Want to be part of the next conversation?
Join us at the next Lights ON Blackfriars at Blackfriars Playhouse, where the lights stay on—and the audience is part of the story.

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