Set: Curtains are closed.

(Spot 1 on Bennett)

Mr. Bennett, (Wearing slippers and a corduroy jacket, carrying a book, enters from D.R., goes 1/3 over, pauses, turns to the audience, winks, stops and speaks.)

Mr. Bennett: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a large fortune must be in want of a wife? No matter how little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his moving into the neighborhood, this idea is fixed in the nearby families, that he is considered the rightful property of one or another of their daughters. You will see what I mean since you are about to meet my wife, Mrs. Bennett.

(Curtains open on Scene 1, Spot off; and Mr. Bennett joins his wife—to center stage.)

Mrs. Bennett: My dear Mr. Bennett, have you heard, that the big house at Netherfield Park has been rented at last?

Mr. Bennett: No.

Mrs. Bennett: But, it has been, for Mrs. Long has just been here and she told me all about it. (Pause) Don’t you want to know who has rented it? (Impatiently)

Mr. Bennett: You want to tell me, so I’m bound to hear about it. (Sits D.R.)

Mrs. Bennett: Why, my dear, she says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune, that he came down Monday in a carriage with four horses to see the house and he agreed to take it immediately. His servants came yesterday and he was to arrive this morning.

Mr. Bennett: What is his name?

Mrs. Bennett: Mr. Bingley.

Mr. Bennett: Is he married or single?

Mrs. Bennett: Oh, he’s single, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year! What a fine thing for our girls!

Mrs. Bennett: My dear Mr. Bennett, how can you be so tiresome! You know what I mean. (Sits on chair D.L. Works on embroidery)

Mr. Bennett: Oh?

Mrs. Bennett: I’m thinking that he just might marry one of them.

Mr. Bennett: Ah – so that is why he’s moving in?

Mrs. Bennett: Nonsense! Of course not! How can you talk so? He knows nothing about it. But, it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them. Therefore, you must go to visit him as soon as he arrives.

Mr. Bennett: I see no reason for that. You and the girls may go, or better still, send them over by themselves, for you are as pretty as any of them and Mr. Bingley might like you the best of all.

Mrs. Bennett: My dear, You flatter me. (Rises; goes behind couch during speech.) I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has four grown daughters, she should stop thinking of her own beauty.

Mr. Bennett: In most cases, a woman hasn’t much beauty left to think of.

Mrs. Bennett: (coaxingly; goes behind his chair D.R.) But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighborhood.

Mr. Bennett: I’m much too busy.

Mrs. Bennett: But, consider your daughters. Just think what a match it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are going to see him, though I’m sure that Charlotte hasn’t a chance against any of our girls. And you know that we can’t visit him if you don’t.

Mr. Bennett: You are much too fussy. I’m sure Mr. Bingley will be very happy to see you, and I’ll send him a note to give him my full permission to marry whichever one of the girls he chooses, although I’ll have to throw in a good word for my little Lizzie.

Mrs. Bennett: No! I do not desire you to do any such thing! Elizabeth is not a bit better than the others; and I’m sure that she’s not half as pretty as Jane, or so good humored as Lydia, and she is not nearly as studious as Kitty. But, you are always giving her preference.

Mr. Bennett: None of them have much to recommend them. They are all silly and ignorant like other girls, but Lizzie is a little quicker than her sisters.

Mrs. Bennett: Mr. Bennett, how can you abuse your own children in such a way! You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves. (sits in her chair D.R.)

Mr. Bennett: You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I’ve heard you mention them at least every hour of these last twenty years.

Mrs. Bennett: Ah, you simply do not know how I suffer.

Mr. Bennett: Well, I hope you will get over it and live to see many rich young men move into the neighborhood. (rises)

Mrs. Bennett: It would be of no use to us if twenty should come in since you will not visit them.

(Girls start entering)

Mr. Bennett: You may depend on it, my dear, when there are twenty, I will visit every last one of them.

(He picks up his book and walks forward to address the audience. While he is           doing this, the girls quietly appear from the various entrances. 1. Elizabeth,         from stairs to U.R. is employed in trimming a hat. 2. Kitty, from study. 3. Jane,            from D.L. Hall; sits on the arm of his chair. 4. Lydia, from D.R. (dining room)

Mr. Bennett: (D.C.; to the audience) After twenty years, my wife still cannot comprehend my character. Hers, however, is less difficult to understand. She is a woman of little understanding, little information, and of a very uncertain temper. When she is discontented, she fancies herself nervous. The business of her life is to get her daughters married. Actually, I was the first in the neighborhood to visit Mr. Bingley. I rode over this morning. I shouldn’t be surprised if he repaid my visit this very afternoon.

(Mr. Bennett rejoins his family. Lizzie is trying on her new hat.)

(Kitty coughs)

Mr. Bennett: I hope Mr. Bingley will like it, Lizzie. (Lydia goes to window. Mr. Bennett sits)

Mrs. Bennett: We are in no position to know what Mr. Bingley might like, since we are not going to visit him. (resentfully)

(Kitty coughs persistently)

Mrs. Bennett: Don’t keep coughing so Kitty, for heavens sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves! You are tearing them to pieces!

Mr. Bennett: Kitty has no discretion in her coughing, she times it very badly.

Kitty: (fretfully) I do not cough for my own amusement. When is the next ball to be, Lizzie?

Elizabeth: Next week. (D.R. to Mr. Bennett’s chair)

Mrs. Bennett: Yes, so it is, and how shall I ever contrive to get my friends to introduce us to Mr. Bingley before then, when they shall hardly know him?

Mr. Bennett: Then you may have the advantage of your friends and introduce Mr. Bingley to them.

Mrs. Bennett: Nonsense! Nonsense! How can you be so teasing?

Mr. Bennett: Oh my, do you think good manners are nonsense? I can’t quite agree with you there. What do you say, Kitty? For you are a young lady of deep reflection, I know, and read a great many books and collect quotations.

(Kitty wants to say something clever, but can’t seem to think of anything.)     While Kitty is adjusting her ideas, let us return to Mr. Bingley.

Mrs. Bennett: I’m sick of Mr. Bingley.

Mr. Bennett: I’m sorry to hear that; but why didn’t you tell me earlier? If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. This is most unfortunate. But, now that I have paid him a visit, we cannot help but be in his company.

(The women all speak simultaneously)

Lydia: Oh, Pops. (C.S.)

Jane: Ooooh.

Elizabeth: You were teasing us.

Kitty: Dear Father.

Mrs. Bennett: Oh, my dear Mr. Bennett.

How good it was of you! (rises) I knew you couldn’t be so cruel. I was sure that you loved your girls too well to pass up such a good chance for them. Well, how pleased I am! And it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning and never said a word about it until now.

Mr. Bennett: (rises) Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you wish. (He exits) Door knock….

Mrs. Bennett: (C.S.) Oh, Lydia, my love, (puts her arm around her) although you are the youngest, I dare say that Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next ball. (Maid enters, followed by Lady and Charlotte Lucas)

Maid: Lady Lucas and Miss Lucas are here, Madame. (She exits) (Voices from the hall. Lady Lucas and Charlotte enter.)

(Girls and Mrs. Bennett react to friends visiting.)

Mrs. Bennett: My dear Lady Lucas and Charlotte—do come in and sit down.

Lady Lucas: (sits D.L.) (Mrs. B. sits D.R.)

We have just been to call on our new neighbor, Mr. Bingley.

Jane: Oh, what?—(catches herself) well….

(Charlotte sits on sofa. Jane and Kitty sit)

(Girls are all very interested)

Lady Lucas: We are simply delighted with him. He’s wonderfully handsome.

Kitty: What color hair has he?

Lady Lucas: I can’t really say, perhaps light. But, then again, perhaps it is a little darker. Yes, I believe it is dark.

Lydia: What color are his eyes?

Lady Lucas: Blue, to be sure. Or, perhaps, they are brown.

Jane: Was he pleasant?

Lady Lucas: Oh, he was most agreeable. A wonderful young man.

Charlotte: He promised to come to the ball.

Elizabeth: Then he must be fond of dancing.

Kitty: That means he’s a romantic, too.

Lydia: Did any of you hear a horse? (moves to window—U.S.) Oh! that must be him! He just stopped and spoke to Father. (the other girls move to the window; Kitty, first, then Jane and Elizabeth and Mrs. B. Charlotte stays sitting)

Lydia: A blue coat! He’s wearing a blue coat!

Kitty: And riding a black horse!

Mrs. Bennett: Oh! (overcome with joy, she sits down, D.R., and fans herself) Oh! If I can just see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield and the others equally well married, I should have nothing left to wish for.

COSTUME CHANGE: Mrs. B., L. Lucas and Charlotte.

CURTAIN