Unlike so many novelists of the Victorian period, Jane Austen didn’t publish her books in serial form. The first readers of, say, David Copperfield or Middlemarch had to wait months to learn the ultimate fate of their favorite characters, but Pride and Prejudice was bingeable from the beginning.
If you prefer to take your Austen with a dose of Victorian delayed gratification, however, now’s your chance: Lifeline Theatre, a Chicago company that specializes in adaptations of classic literary works, will stream a multi-episode, on-demand audio version of Sense and Sensibility beginning on September 3.
A nine-person cast, some in multiple roles, will perform, with episodes premiering weekly. Name-your-price tickets are available for $20, $50, $100, or nothing at all.
Lifeline isn’t new to Austen: During its thirty-eight year history, the company has produced theatrical adaptations of Emma and Northanger Abbey, as well as four different iterations of Pride and Prejudice, the most recent a Zoom version performed last November.
When I reached out to Lifeline for details unavailable on their website, I learned that its S&S will comprise six episodes, with initial availability concluding October 8. But if that whole Victorian serial experience isn’t for you, not to worry: Once all the episodes are up, you’ll be able to listen to the whole thing at once through October 31.