‘Sense and Sensibility’ coming to David Douglas High

UPDATE: LIVE PERFORMANCES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID 19 CONCERNS … BUT SEE IT LIVE-STREAMED ON YOUTUBE ON MARCH 13! Find out why you’ll really want to reserve your tickets early for this new play – which is based on an old story – opening March 6 in outer East Portland …

-1 As the play Sense and Sensibility, begins, these student actors, all “gossips” – Robyn Banasky, Amelia Parish, Denzel Menjivar, and Konner Rudisill – gather around and enjoy discussing the unfortunate circumstances of the demise of Mr. Dashwood.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

UPDATED:

> Sense and Sensibility LIVE on YouTube from David Douglas High – ALL FURTHER LIVE PERFORMANCES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID 19 CONCERNS … but READ ON! One night only, on March 13 at 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm see it live on YouTube!

These performances are being live streamed, not a recording, so please tune in. Kate Hamill, the author, and the publisher Dramatist Play Service, have generously given us permission to live stream the show. Because this presentation is with the specific, one-time permission, they ask, please, DO NOT RECORD the performances.

David Rosenbaum, Michael Givler, and Roxy Mojica of the DDHS Theater Department ask, “Please consider these performances a “pay what you will performance. We are still paying performance rights and for our set and costumes! So, if you haven’t purchased a ticket, please consider supporting us.” You can do that by sending a check to DDHS THEATER C/O Michael Givler 1001 SE 135^th Avenue, Portland OR 97233. To live stream the show, on March 13 only on YouTube, CLICK HERE.

Original story …
Readying for the six performances of their winter drama season, in the Hazelwood neighborhood, are the student actors in the David Douglas High School (DDHS) Theater Department. And right now, they are working toward their March 6 opening of a play based on the beloved Jane Austen novel, Sense and Sensibility.

Sense and Sensibility has been rewritten for stage and screen no less than 15 different times; this version, adapted by Kate Hamill in 2016, focuses on the story and the spoken words, with minimal production and scenery.

DHS Theater Instructor, and the show’s Director, David Rosenbaum gives “performance notes” to the cast members.

“I’ve been wanting to do this show for a while; and we chose it now because we have a really strong ensemble of actors who can bring off a play that has both ‘subtlety’ and ‘size’ at the same time,” explained David Rosenbaum during a break rehearsal a week before the show opens. He’s the school’s Theater Instructor, and the show’s Director,

“It’s a very timely story about ‘reputation’. It poses the question, ‘what if everything one does is ‘under a microscope’ for everyone to comment on and discuss,” Rosenbaum told East Portland News.

Sitting on the sofa, Edward Ferrars (played by Ethan Blair) tries to console the bereaved Elinor Dashwood (played by Julia Archer) as the village gossips, played by actors Jason Yelton, Sasha Selva, and Sydney Gallaher, peer through a window!

Although it’s set in the 1800s, with this adaptation only about four years old, “Today, in a time when everything seems instantly posted to Instagram or TikTok, our actors certainly do find the play’s content relevant,” observed Rosenbaum.

The show features a cast of 12 players, as well as a full complement of “understudy” actors, who will also take the stage during some performances.

Gossip Sydney Gallaher delights, as John Willoughby (played by Ethan Blair) picks up the swooning Marianne Dashwood (played by Sarah Muller) – as two gossips, actors Sasha Selva and Brianna Borresen, mock the situation.

About the story
Sense and Sensibility follows the fortunes – and, yes, misfortunes – of the Dashwood sisters: Sensible Elinor, and hypersensitive Marianne, when their father’s sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable.

Set in the gossipy late 18th-century England, with Austen’s fresh, female voice, the play is full of humor, emotional depth, and bold theatricality.

When reputation is everything, how can you follow your heart? Come see Sense and Sensibility, and see for yourself!

A new man in the town gets close scrutiny from the many people connected with the Dashwood family.

Reserve tickets now
Although this production takes place in the DDHS Howard Horner Performing Arts Center Theater, the performance and seating area are all on the stage, creating an intimate setting but very limited seating. With seats for only about 100 people per show, all audience members will be close to the action and intrigue – and tickets will be going fast.

The show opens on Friday, March 6, and continues on the evening of March 7, and again March 12 and 13. Plus, there are Sunday Matinee shows on March 8 and 15 at 2:30 p.m.

TICKETS: $10 for Adults | $8 for Students and Seniors.

Reserve your tickets now: CLICK HERE. They’ll hold your unpaid tickets for two weeks; you can pay for them at the box office at school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 3:00 until 5:30 p.m. For more information, or to make a reservation, call the Box Office at 503-261-8270.

See Sense and Sensibility at the DDHS Howard F. Horner Performing Arts Center, located at 1400 SE 130th (between Stark and Division Streets).

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