[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Garry Marshall Theatre and Impro Theatre are celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th birthday by bringing back one of the most coveted events in the city: Jane Austen Unscripted: Tea at Pemberley.
I was lucky enough to attend a couple of years ago, and the experience was absolutely unforgettable! You can read my NoHo Arts theatre review here>>
So since Jane Austen Unscripted: Tea at Pemberley tickets are few and far between, we thought we would ask Joe Bwarie, Garry Marshall Theatre’s producing artistic director, a few questions about the show…while we imagine we are sitting in a beautiful English garden on a warm summer day…with no rain in sight, but a brolly at our side just in case.
Hi Joe! How did Jane Austen Unscripted first come to the Garry Marshall Theatre?
Impro Theatre Company has been performing “Jane Austen Unscripted” for well over a decade. Paul Rogan is an Impro company member who was the catalyst for the show’s inception those many years ago, and a main director and actor in the show. And while Impro performed for years while Garry was still here at the then Falcon Theatre, it never worked for their unscripted “Jane” to take the stage here. So when Kathleen Marshall and I were developing new experiences as the nonprofit GMT was evolving and growing, we agreed that we needed a meeting with Impro founder and our friend, Dan O’Connor. We pitched a larger-than-life outdoor tea party culminating in a performance of “Jane Austen Unscripted.” And so in 2022, we debuted our “Jane” collaboration with Impro Theatre.
Putting on a garden party with cakes and tea is a complicated matter! How is this magical event made possible?
There are many meetings. Many meetings. Lots of cleaning. Building preparations. Hours and hours of work in the garden. And many additional staff members were brought in for the epic tea party. Each show seats over 100 guests. And that’s how we approach this portion of the experience – that everyone in attendance is a special guest at a very special event. We have hundreds of tea cup and saucer sets from vintage decades (some from the private collection of Barbara Marshall), porcelain plates, gold tea spoons, specialty napkins, personalized menus, and vintage glassware. Each table is set with four table linens, a tiered floral centerpiece, a table placard with Jane Austen references, and a collection of treats from local shops, bakeries and restaurants. Depending on the performance, beverages range from hot English teas to bright iced tea to a selection of Regency-inspired cocktails. The courtyard is transformed into a garden, packed with umbrellas, and a stunning stage is built and beautifully decorated. It’s really one photo opportunity after another. And the staff really gives it their all!
What can audiences expect from their tea in the Pemberley Gardens?
It’s safe to say, audiences will be whisked away to the English Countryside, right in the heart of Burbank and Toluca Lake. The centerpiece of the tea party is the fully improvised play in the style of Jane Austen’s novels. Totally new characters invented on the spot. And Impro Theatre rotates the most lovely, hilarious, dexterous casts. No show is alike, but every show is incredibly clever, poignant, romantic and in true Garry Marshall fashion – funny.
Jane Austen is enjoying her 250th birthday this year, and yet she seems as relevant as ever. How is this possible?
Good writing is an undeniable legacy. She gifted the world her creativity and storytelling. All these years later, she has left us with characters that still resonate, a bygone time that is alluring in our modern melee, and the opportunity to find romance wherever we find ourselves.
Garry Marshall Theatre is a bastion of creativity and storytelling. What does it mean to partner with Impro Theatre?
GMT is such a special place. Our hope is to continue to find ways to entertain, educate and cultivate community. And Impro Theatre and its founders, members, directors, and teachers are on that same page. So the synergy and the camaraderie is bountiful. It’s always so refreshing to collaborate with creative and open-minded theatre companies, and lucky for us, LA is full of them. Because we have been working together for quite a few years, it’s always great to have our friends in Impro Theatre on the GMT campus.
Does theatre have a place, and why is it important in today’s mixed media digital AI world?
100%. Without theatre, there would not be other media forms. Mind you, they all have a place for sure. But the live arts have a palpable, exciting, emotional expression that is like no other. Live events, concerts, comedy, theatre, dance, opera – all of it is happening in real time, with new audiences at every performance, and because of that – there is a humanity, community and connection like no other. And I know you didn’t ask, but yes – great live experiences are worth the ticket price.
Can we expect Jane Austen Unscripted again next year and Garry Marshall Theatre?
This is our final Garden Tea Party “Jane Austen Unscripted: Tea At Pemberley.” And so we are making it the most lovely, the most delicious, and the most beautiful. It’s really like nothing else. But GMT and Impro will cook up something else. I am sure of it. But the powers that be in the City of Burbank have let us know this is the last time we will be permitted to bring “Jane” to our courtyard. So after these ten special shows, “Jane Austen Unscripted: Tea at Pemberley” in the GMT courtyard garden will be part of the Jane legacy.
What more do you have in store for us this year?
We are heading into five weeks and six sessions of the most wonderful youth summer camp for ages 8-17. The weeks are like no other camp in LA. The instructors are legitimate pros in their fields of expertise, and the sessions include: Youth Arts, Physical Comedy & Clowning, Musical Theatre Movement, Puppet Making, Musical Theatre Revue, and Teen Tech. The first session starts on June 9th and the theatre arts fun and creativity go through July!
Thank you Joe!
When:
Jane Austen: Tea at Pemberley will be walking the scented garden at Garry Marshall Theatre from May 2 to May 11.
Tickets:
You can get your tickets here: https://www.garrymarshalltheatre.org/gmtea
But we quick, they have added an extra show on May 10 because they sold out!
Where:
The Garry Marshall Theatre
4252 W Riverside Dr, Burbank
****
To see what shows are playing, check out our theatre guide>>