A lively, costumed reading by Kate Hamill, based on the novel by Jane Austen, will be staged December 12 – 14, directed by Ariel Bock
Shakespeare & Company’s traditional winter show returns this year with Sense & Sensibility by Kate Hamill, a fast-paced, staged reading wherein the wit and romance of Jane Austen’s classic tale come to life. This year, the Austen-inspired production coincides with her 250th birthday on December 16.
Sense & Sensibility follows the fortunes — and misfortunes — of the Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne, after their father’s sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable. Set in late 18th-century England, the play is full of humor, emotional depth, and bold theatricality, examining our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart?
Both evening and matinee performances will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12; Saturday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m, and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 pm. Tickets range from $24.50 to $44.50 including fees. For more information or to purchase, visit shakespeare.org or call the Box Office at 413.637.3353.
Shakespeare & Company will also hold an Austen & Afternoon Tea event on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 11:30, in celebration of Austen’s birthday. A talk led by literary scholar Ann Berman will be followed by a tea reception, and Regency costumes will be on display. Tickets are $24.50 or $19.50 for patrons 22 and under, including fees. The Austen & Afternoon Tea does not include tickets to the show; however a 2 p.m. matinee follows the event with tickets for purchase.
Sense & Sensibility’s Cast Includes
Ariel Bock — Director
A longtime Shakespeare & Company artist, Ariel Bock has appeared in and directed numerous productions including Measure for Measure, The Children, Ugly Lies the Bone, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, Mother Play, and many more. She is a Designated Linklater Teacher.
Lochlan Angle — Edward Ferrars / Robert Ferrars
Pronouns: he / him Lochlan Angle is based in Asheville, North Carolina, and works with Shakespeare & Company as an Education Artist. Regional credits include Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and the touring production It’s A Wonderful Life.
Lydia Isabel Duff — Fanny Dashwood / Lady Middleton / Lucy Steele
Pronouns: she / her Lydia Isabel Duff is a theater artist based in Western Massachusetts. Introduced to the stage through Shakespeare & Company’s education programs, she went on to study at Carnegie Mellon University, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. A graduate of Bennington College, she returned to Shakespeare & Company to complete the Month-Long Intensive. This marks her third year with the Company, with appearances in Circus and the Bard (2025), staged readings of Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (2023) and Emma (2024), and understudy performances in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2023) and A Body of Water (2024).
Luke Haskell — Sir John Middleton / Doctor
Pronouns: he / him Luke Haskell’s Shakespeare & Company credits include Romeo & Juliet, Jane Austen’s Emma, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love’s Labor’s Lost, and many others. He has been involved with the Education department since 2016.
Tapaynga Hill — Mrs. Dashwood / Anne Steele
Pronouns: she / her Tapaynga Hill is delighted to join her first staged reading with Shakespeare & Company. Originally from Wyoming, she is enjoying her first season in the Northeast. Favorite roles include Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Snoopy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and #14 in The Wolves. She extends heartfelt thanks to her family, friends, and to Caleb for their unwavering support.
Princess Jacob — Margaret Dashwood / Anne Steele
Princess Jacob’s stage highlights include The Essentialisn’t, The Christians, and Home Is Where the Fund Is. Television credits include Before (Apple TV+) and Bull (CBS).
Marcus Kearns — Col. Brandon / Thomas / Sound Designer
Pronouns: he / him Over the past decade, Marcus Kearns has built a multifaceted career in New York City as a Broadway props carpenter, production manager for clients ranging from Red Bull to Rihanna, and a performer. Now based in the Berkshires, he served as Director of Production & Operations at Barrington Stage Company until 2024, when he shifted his focus to full-time parenting. He currently works with Majestic Theater in West Springfield as a Production Manager. Marcus thanks his wife Erika for her love, his son Porter for his brilliance, and his daughter Lumen for being his brightest light.
Madeleine Rose Maggio — Elinor Dashwood
Pronouns: she / her Madeleine Rose Maggio’s extensive Shakespeare & Company credits include Romeo & Juliet, The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, Merry Wives, Pride & Prejudice, and Sense & Sensibility.
Nick Nudler — John Willoughby / John Dashwood
Nick Nudler has appeared at Shakespeare & Company as Petruchio (The Taming of the Shrew) and in I Have Had a Most Rare Vision. For the Northeast Regional Tour of Shakespeare, he has played Macbeth (Macbeth), Antipholus of Ephesus (The Comedy of Errors), and Claudius (Hamlet). He is half of the theatre duo Cosmic Mirth with Kirsten Peacock, creating highly physical interpretations of classic and folk stories. Training: BFA, University of Connecticut.
Devante Owens — Mrs. Jennings
Pronouns: they / them Recent credits include Off-Broadway: Neavh, The 2 Queers a Lesbian Meets at the Home Depot (A.R.T. New York); Catskill Mountain Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (Nurse), Julius Caesar (Brutus), As You Like It (Touchstone). S&Co: Conrad/Friar (Much Ado About Nothing), Burgundy (King Lear), Lucentio (The Taming of the Shrew), Dumaine (Love’s Labor’s Lost), Theseus (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and numerous readings. Regional Tour: Angelo (The Comedy of Errors), Duncan (Macbeth). A dedicated student of the Linklater Voice Method for five years, they also teach and serve as an Education Artist at Shakespeare & Company.
Kirsten Peacock — Marianne Dashwood
Kirsten Peacock has appeared in several Shakespeare & Company productions including Kate (The Taming of the Shrew), Emma (EMMA), Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and in I Have Had a Most Rare Vision. For the Northeast Regional Tour: Lady Macbeth (Macbeth), Antipholus of Syracuse (The Comedy of Errors), Ophelia (Hamlet), and Desdemona (Othello). Born to British and American parents and raised in Norway, she studied at the University of Kent and UC Berkeley. Additional credits include Indecent (Playhouse on Park), Noises Off (Cape Rep Theatre), and The Awakening (Breadbox Theatre). With partner Nick Nudler, she co-creates original works through their company Cosmic Mirth, including From the Heart of the Wreck, Jason & Medea, and Midsummer Dreamers.
About Shakespeare & Company
Shakespeare & Company was founded in 1978 by Tina Packer. Located in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, the Company offers performance, education, and actor-training opportunities year-round, and attracts more than 40,000 patrons annually with a core of more than 150 artists.
