Stage Review - Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley (SecondStory Rep)

Stage Review - Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley
Presented By: Second Story Rep - Redmond, WA
Show Run: December 05 - December 28, 2025
Date Reviewed: Thursday, December 11, 2025
Run Time: 2 Hours, 10 Minutes (including a 10-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

Everyone loves a trilogy. Well, let me clarify—everyone loves a good trilogy, and in the hands of playwright Lauren Gunderson, the Christmas at Pemberley series is as good as any. The third installment, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley, continues Gunderson’s Austen-inspired exploration of the women who live just outside the center of Pride and Prejudice, once again co-written with Margot Melcon, as were the first two chapters in the trilogy. This time, the focus shifts to Georgiana Darcy and Kitty Bennet as they navigate Christmas at Pemberley, each wrestling with expectations, independence, and the complicated pull of family, friendship, and romance. With these playwrights at the helm, audiences can be confident they’re getting a well-written, character-driven play that is thoroughly researched and meticulously crafted, not to mention funny and full of passion and heart. That’s exactly what this third chapter delivers, and in the hands of SecondStory Rep and artistic director Mark Chenovick, a play that is already engaging becomes even more so. Add to that the return of director Elizabeth Tanner and a cast that has remained largely consistent since the company first produced the opening chapter of the trilogy, and the execution of the emotion, connection, and familial warmth at the heart of this story feels almost second nature.

The result is a group on stage that feels less like an ensemble and more like a family. That sense only deepens when paired with a largely consistent creative team, all of whom seem deeply attuned not only to the world of Pemberley but to one another. While the actors continue to develop their individual character portrayals without losing the distinct personalities they bring to their roles, Mark’s set—new for this chapter—contains visual and thematic echoes of the earlier installments. It serves as a quiet reminder that this is not simply a standalone story, but part of a larger tapestry. And since this really is a story, or perhaps a collection of stories, about family, forgiveness, and personal growth, it’s difficult to imagine a better way to bind these chapters together.

The drawing room setting immediately establishes both scale and intimacy. One entire side of the stage is dominated by an expansive library, easily one of the largest I’ve seen in a space of this size, filled with books that feel actively used rather than merely decorative (upon closer inspection, after sitting through the first act thinking the books were real, I was shocked to find out that they are merely part of a large, static set piece). Dark, slate-toned colors give the room weight, while a Christmas tree stands center stage atop a slightly elevated platform accessed by two stairs that run the width of the stage. Large doors anchor stage left, and the overall effect is elegant without feeling precious. It’s a practical, thoughtfully designed space that allows the action to flow freely and gives the actors room to fully inhabit the world.

In Act Two, set six years later, the space transforms into Georgiana’s London flat—a transition that remains anchored in Mark’s established visual language for the trilogy, but one that feels noticeably brighter and more alive than the crustier interiors of earlier scenes. The creative placement of Georgiana’s exterior door is particularly effective, a clear example of a set designer being intimately engaged with the specific nature of the space he’s designing for. The door allows entrances and exits to be portrayed with their intended significance without interrupting the rhythm of the scenes, this Act 2 design reinforcing both Georgiana’s independence and her connection to the world beyond the room. The shift reflects not just time passing, but emotional and intellectual forward motion.

Elizabeth Tanner’s direction makes strong use of that environment, frequently drawing focus toward center stage while allowing other characters to remain present in the background. Conversations unfold naturally, often overlapping in ways that feel organic rather than staged. This production is particularly effective in how it treats dialogue itself as movement—how exchanges shift from casual to consequential without ever announcing that shift. The relationship between Olivia Ockey Goodwin as Georgiana Darcy and Ashley Rose Klimper as Kitty Bennet feels fully developed and grounded, reinforcing the sense that these characters share not just history, but emotional shorthand.

This “family,” as it were, has an uncanny ability to bring the soul of the emotions they’re playing to the surface. While the play is often quite funny, it is equally rich with passion, anger, frustration, tension, tenderness, and ultimately forgiveness. All of this is written into the script, of course, but words on a page can only go so far. It’s the actors who make the audience feel these things, and here those emotions settle over the room like a warm blanket on a cold night, offering comfort and joy that feels particularly welcome during the holiday season.

Tadd Morgan returns as Fitzwilliam Darcy, and once again expertly presents a character who balances propriety and vulnerability, with Tadd’s excellent accent work and a sharp instinct for comedic timing—especially when Darcy’s sense of decorum collides with moments of personal embarrassment. What makes his performance land even more effectively is Jillian Faulk as his wife, Lizzy Bennet, who serves as Darcy’s necessary counterweight. Jillian’s Lizzy is the only one capable of keeping her husband in check, often intervening just before he goes too far, particularly during Darcy’s interrogation of his sister’s new beau, Henry Grey. Those interventions are timed beautifully, adding humor while also reinforcing Lizzy’s emotional intelligence and authority within the family.

Mary Guthrie as Jane Bennet provides steady warmth throughout, and Alysha Curry as Lydia Wickham initially presents as self-centered and pushy, fully leaning into Lydia’s reputation for impulsiveness and attention-seeking. The script allows Lydia room to grow, particularly in a moment where Kitty firmly admonishes her for taking her meddling just a little too far. That exchange becomes a quiet turning point, giving Lydia space to recalibrate rather than remain the family irritant. The evolution plays cleanly and honestly, allowing Lydia to emerge with greater dimension by the end of the evening, and it’s wonderfully played by Alysha.

Making his SecondStory Rep debut is Derek Sikkema as Henry Grey, Derek brings an easy charm to the role. His delivery is relaxed and disarming, his interactions with Georgiana and Kitty are warm and unforced, and his shyness is played with just the right amount of nervous energy, allowing confidence to build organically. When Darcy quite literally steers him down the stairs in an effort to encourage conversation, the moment lands as both funny and revealing.

Equally important to those exchanges is Andrew Meyers as Thomas O’Brien, who adds a welcome humorous tone to otherwise tense conversations between Henry and the Darcy and Bennet families. Andrew’s delivery is smooth, friendly, and just a bit flirty, using charm as a pressure valve when social formalities threaten to tip into interrogation. His presence keeps scenes buoyant without undercutting their stakes, and he proves to be an excellent counterbalance to Darcy’s intensity, and a steadying influence on the socially awkward Grey.

One of the production’s quiet triumphs is how it treats conversation itself as action. The play repeatedly draws attention to how characters learn about one another through listening—how what is said, and what is left unsaid, shapes relationships. Georgiana’s piano playing deepens that emotional landscape, offering moments of reflection that communicate as much as dialogue ever could.

And speaking of Georgiana, her arc is especially satisfying, and Olivia shines in the role. Through her earnest and honest portrayal, over the course of the play Georgiana breaks free from a lifetime of repression—first from her family and her overbearing brother, and later from society itself—as she attempts to give a woman’s voice to the deeply patriarchal artistic community of her time. Her journey is gradual and hard-won, rooted in empowerment and self-definition rather than rebellion for its own sake. Books, music, and other props appear throughout the production as meaningful objects rather than mere set dressing, reinforcing the intellectual and emotional environment she inhabits as she claims space for herself, and the blank sheet music received as a gift is perhaps the most symbolic of all, giving her a blank page with which to fill in the musical notes of her own life. Though her arc is a bit adjacent to that of Georgiana, Kitty shows an good deal of independence on her own, and Ashley is just as strong here. Changing minds with just a look or a pause, she’s a guiding presence in the lives of the families, and Ashley’s presence on stage matches the importance of her character to the storyline.

Costuming supports that storyline, and the individual journeys, well. Designed by Amy Hockman, the women’s long dresses, cinched at the waist with belts, are elegant and flattering without feeling restrictive, reinforcing both the period aesthetic and the emotional constraints the characters navigate, and the male costumes speak to social position and authority. There is one small contemporary detail—visible tattoos—that briefly pulls the eye and feels slightly out of period. It’s a minor distraction, but noticeable precisely because the rest of the visual world is so cohesive and thoughtfully realized.

Act Two deepens the emotional stakes further. Accents sharpen, conversations grow more pointed, and a spirited exchange between Derek’s Grey and Ashley’s Kitty reinforces the emotional currency that is gained and lost throughout the evening. There’s also an air of mystery surrounding the action in Act 2, but it’s really about the emotion. Late in the act, the dialogue allows the ensemble to build this slowly and deliberately—frustration giving way to anger, tenderness, forgiveness, and ultimately understanding. The cast handles this beautifully, never rushing the payoff.

Georgiana and Kitty is a play with a clarity of purpose. Like the first two chapters in the Christmas at Pemberley trilogy, it understands that growth doesn’t come from grand gestures, but from honest conversation, careful listening, and the courage to speak when silence is easier. Seen together, the trilogy forms a thoughtful, emotionally resonant portrait of women learning to define themselves within—and sometimes beyond—the expectations placed upon them. SecondStory Rep delivers a production that honors its source material while confidently expanding the world it inhabits. As a concluding chapter, this installment feels both complete and deeply connected to what came before. It’s festive without being frivolous, thoughtful without being heavy, and anchored by a group of artists who clearly trust one another. This play is a delight, a joyful conclusion to the trilogy, and a superb addition to the holiday theatrical menu. Perhaps Henry Grey might describe it best, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley is indeed resplendent.

Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley runs on stage at SecondStory Rep through December 28. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.secondstoryrep.org.

Photo credit: Michael Brunk