Imagine Lizzie and Mr. Darcy transported to the world of Dungeons & Dragons.
Better yet, enter the realm that combines Regency-Era England and courtship with quests and dragons and see what can happen with the roll of the dice.
The immersive experience, “Pride & Prejudice & Dragons,” opens Friday and continues on Thursdays through Saturdays through April 5 at the Hermitage Museum & Gardens. The Hermitage and ROŪGE: Theater Reinvented, a group committed to making theater more accessible, collaborated on the project and all shows are sold out.
The stage is the 20th-century estate with a nationally renowned art collection on 12 acres of gardens overlooking the Lafayette River in Norfolk. Spectators will be guided by a Dungeon Master and become part of the story as they make a unique path through D&D, dubbed the world’s greatest role-playing game.
“Instead of having to watch a complete scene before you move to the next scene, you can wander anywhere you want to,” said Patrick Mullins, executive producer of ROŪGE, and the writer/director of the show.
The production allows guests to linger in the dining room, the “cave” upstairs, the mechanical room or parts of the museum that are typically off-limits to guests. These include the staff kitchen, the mud room and an entry reminiscent of a Hobbit door.
“That house is so special and unique and handmade,” Mullins said. “The energy of it and the look of it and the time period steal from medieval styles and other periods that have such great art in it. The house itself becomes an experience.”
The evening culminates in the ornate drawing room where plotlines converge at a Regency ball in what teases to be an unforgettable twist.
“I’m hoping people leave feeling different than when they arrived,” Mullins said.
It isn’t necessary to know Jane Austen's classic, which chronicles the unlikely romance between the spirited Lizzie Bennet and the aloof Fitzwilliam Darcy. Nor is understanding the nuances of the sophisticated game that morphed into a social phenomenon.
“I recently saw the movie; I’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons,” said Terrence Bennett, a Hampton resident with a music theater degree from Manhattan College, who plays Mr. Darcy.
The cast was introduced to the game in a streamlined format, a One Shot D&D meetup, which served as a crash course.
“Expect an experience,” said Leila Stephanie, a Newport News native and veteran of Hermitage performances who plays Lady Catherine de Borough, Mr. Darcy’s aunt.
“The extent of what that experience will be is a personal endeavor. There is something for the ‘Pride and Prejudice’ fan. There’s something for the Dungeons & Dragons fan. And something for the people who have no idea.”
Trezure B. Coles, who plays Lizzie, said, “If you’re a person who likes drama and you like your typical love story of love and hate, that alone will get you.” Coles graduated from Norfolk State University’s theater program. “Another part that makes this more of an experience is how much storytelling we’re doing without words."
The audience “onboards” to attend the show. Groups of 20 are admitted in four different waves, 15 minutes apart, starting at 7:30 p.m. Mullins expects the early spectators will remain for multiple performances. Spectators are encouraged to wear gowns, suits or adventurer attire; high heels are discouraged because of the amount of walking.
For more information, visit the Hermitage Museum online.
