Snob Sisters

In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the Bennet sisters' overbearing mom and pissed-off dad don't make matters any easier as the siblings are wooed by a couple of handsome suitors. A cavalcade of rumors and class struggles in 19th-century England also gets in the way of the relationships. "It's all about the education of the person," says Peter Amster, who's directing the Cleveland Play House's run of a play based on Austen's novel. "It's about not being stupid, allowing yourself to change your mind about somebody, and taking in more facts."While moviegoers will recognize the plot from the 2005 cinematic version of the book, the Play House has tried to restore Austen's thumbprint on the dialogue. "I felt like the movie version was being told by Emily Brontë. It was too romantic and all heaving bosoms," laughs Amster. "This is more about social structure and comedy. People will be surprised how funny it is." Find out for yourself at 2 p.m. Sundays and 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, through Sunday, April 13, at the Cleveland Play House's Bolton Theatre, 8500 Euclid Avenue. Tickets are $38 to $62. Call 216-795-7000 or visit www.clevelandplayhouse.com.
Sundays, 2 p.m.; Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m. Starts: March 23. Continues through April 13, 2008