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鈥淪ense and Sensibility,鈥� Jane Austen鈥檚 classic story of the Dashwood sisters, is taking The Vortex Theatre stage starting Friday, April 24.

Director Bridget Dunne said the sisters deal with suitors and difficulties in their lives, but the heart of the story is their sisterly bond. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 about their relationship as sisters, and seeing them be there for each other and support each other and just love each other,鈥� Dunne said.

The Dashwood sisters are portrayed by Mariah Montoya as Elinor and Robyn Casper as Marianne. Dunne said it was beautiful to see the bond the two created. 

She said Montoya and Casper tapped into what she was envisioning for the characters and hit the elder-younger sister dynamic. 

鈥淚t really does sort of feel like I鈥檓 watching sisters in real life who just are also in this play,鈥� Dunne said. 

Montoya said Elinor is a dream role and she relates deeply to the character as an eldest sister herself. 

鈥淚 think she鈥檚 characterized most by carrying the invisible burden of not only her own sorrows, but everyone else鈥檚 as well,鈥� Montoya said.

Montoya said 鈥淪ense and Sensibility鈥� follows Elinor as she deals with keeping her family afloat after the death of their father. 

She said the play is set during a time when women could not work, creating a complication where Elinor struggles to keep things together. At the same time, she is falling in love with a seemingly unavailable man. Montoya said she relates to carrying unseen burdens, making it easier for her to connect with the character. 

She looked closely at how Elinor鈥檚 humanity shone through in Jane Austen鈥檚 writing. 

When she landed the role, Montoya said she promptly stopped watching the 1995 film adaptation. While Emma Thompson鈥檚 version of Elinor provided great inspiration, Montoya said she wanted to make the character her own. 

鈥淚 thought very deeply about how I, Mariah Montoya, act when there is something that I am having to keep within myself from others,鈥� she said.

Dunne said both actors have been exploring the depths of their emotions. 

The way they react to each other, she said, is moving. While Marianne is the more emotional sister, Elinor gets a key scene that Dunne and Montoya said shows her range. 

鈥淭here was one moment in particular where Elinor does get to break down,鈥� Montoya said. 鈥淪he gets to have this one moment where the straw has broke the camel鈥檚 back, and everything has come spilling out, and all of this burden is finally shed upon the floor.鈥�

鈥淒espite it being one of the more emotionally difficult moments to handle, it has also been one of my favorite pieces, because it is so cathartic, and not only for Elinor, but it鈥檚 cathartic for myself,鈥� Montoya said. 

The moment Elinor鈥檚 heart breaks on stage, Dunne said, is when, during rehearsals, she first saw Montoya embody the role. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those moments, as a fellow actor, where it鈥檚 so impressive to see her get into that depth of emotion and let it out,鈥� Dunne said.

Dunne said the sisters learn from each other throughout the play. 

鈥淓linor is the sense, and Marianne is the sensibility,鈥� Dunne said.

Elizabeth Secor is an arts fellow from the New Mexico Local News Fellowship program. You can reach her at esecor@abqjournal.com.