Improvised Jane Austen | iO Theater
4 out of 4 stars
(Originally published on Chicago Stage Standard)
Improvised Jane Austen (IJA) celebrates their 1-year anniversary of performing their Reader Recommended and PerformINK's critics choice improvised show at the renowned iO Improv Theater this month. To give you a bit of a background, in each show the audience follows a heroine and/or hero through the trials and tribulations of living in turn-of-the 19th century England with a variety of colorful characters.
While normally they tell their story with 7 women, the one year celebration brought together the entire cast of 15 to the stage to perform a story inspired by the audience. A once in a lifetime performance full of humor, Jane Austen themes and fun! Now you may be thinking, I’ve never read Jane Austen I won’t get it or it’s too niche. I am here to tell you, that is not a valid enough excuse to pass on having a good time with these ladies!
This all women ensemble perform all roles regardless of gender and each one performs stunningly! As someone who performed years of impromptu speaking and tour guide work, it is no easy feat to be on your own grasping for words. The communication between the members and genuine enjoyment they have on stage is lovely to see in an improv cast. Moving forward the plot, utilizing key names, and playing off cues - the encouragement between members truly encompasses what great improv looks like. Each individual has a background in various capacities including improvers, directors, musicians and actresses. Since 2008, the ladies of Improvised Jane Austen have graced venues including The Annoyance Theatre, The Blackout Cabaret, Playground Theater, and more!
The themes found in Austen’s work is full of humor. Meddling mothers, misunderstood suitors, charming cads and more will have you crying with laughter. To put it simply, drama, drama and more drama! With the #MeToo movement and a growing feminist voice across the nation, the themes of Jane Austen still hold truth in our modern day. Social status, education, gender inequality and so much more speaks to both the past and present. Austen uses irony and parody among other literary styles for comic effect and to critique the portrayal of women in the 18th century in literature. Without dedicated creatives like IJA, we would be sadly missing out on not only a fun night out, but a little bit of mischievous thought provoking.
IJA moves forward the feminine narrative with everything Austen intended in her books, while making your sides split. I highly recommend you catch this troupe of strong witty women while you can!
Improvised Jane Austen performs every Tuesday at 8pm at the iO Theater (1501 N Kingsbury St, Chicago, IL 60642) and has been renewed through December! On October 22nd and October 29th, the group will perform a "Gothic Novel" version of the show, which will include a little murder and mystery. You don’t want to miss the hilarity that awaits you!
