And if you've heard of Austen but not read the novels or even seen some of the popular adaptations for the screen, you're still going to be entertained by this production, thanks to a rambunctious trio of actors. Jasimine Bouldin takes on the role of the standard-issue Austen fan, a fierce advocate for "Pride and Prejudice"'s Lizzie Bennet and her four sisters, all in need of a husband. Bouldin is the north star of Austen fans.

Hannah Gregory gives her character a spunky nature, advocating "Persuasion," a more mature tale that was not published until after Austen's death (at age 42) in 1817. Gregory admires Anne Elliott, age 27, whom Austen put through some more complex issues of love, loss, and regret. Between Bouldin's and Gregory's characters there's plenty of room to debate the virtues–and occasional silliness–of Austen's characters.

Austen's storytelling is fueled by romantic opportunities with men who are often not quite the equal of her female characters. Patrick Early Phillips takes on the challenging task of playing every male character needed to retell Austen's stories. The playwrights' conceit to pack all the tales in an "abridged" rendition is to have Phillips's character arrive onstage to fill the unexpected vacuum resulting from another actor who has departed abruptly for another opportunity.

He's willing but almost completely ignorant of Austen's stories. The women are hesitant, but they point out that an audience is already seated and waiting, so they undertake the task of bringing him up to speed as quickly as possible. Phillips gives him a willing persona, but he's also largely baffled by many of the plots' twists and turns. Like many of Austen's men, he can be a tad dim-witted. He does his best to keep up, but just as often, he takes what little he knows and tries to shape it into something familiar to him–such as an especially funny sequence turning Austen's take on a gothic novel, "Northanger Abbey," into an epic Dungeons & Dragons tale. That might sound far-fetched (and it is), but it's very much in keeping with the tongue-in-cheek ways Austen's stories are assembled in this high-speed rendition. Phillips handles the full array of Austen's male characters from charming to dopey, and it's fun to watch him take on each role.

The cast are basically costumed in Regency attire, designed by Rainy Edwards. But bonnets and other hats are used to distinguish various characters, sometimes with rapid changes within single scenes. That's how this clever script can work with just three versatile actors who change voices, demeanors, and movements to identify the characters. Bouldin, Gregory and Phillips are top-notch quick-change performers.

This production of The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Abridged) benefits from the frenetic staging by director Jenny Lavery. Even before the action begins, we are hearing up-tempo chamber music. Occasional choreography underscores the energy that drives the show's momentum for its 100-minute duration. And Lavery has employed a hurtling energy that carries the audience along on a non-stop wave of humor.

Gabby Trice's design of a Regency sitting room provides the perfect stage for Austen storytelling: a spiral staircase, a flickering fireplace with an oil painting above, a framed silhouette of Austen, and paneled walls of robin's egg blue. But when the action rolls off into more fanciful directions, S. Elliott's lighting design flashes with bright-colored accents and washes that underscore a humorous moment.

Janeites should not fret that the author will not be given fair treatment. In fact, this script affords plenty of airtime to the feminism that's threaded through her novels, and that's even further underscored by Bouldin's and especially Gregory's characters who frequently speak directly to the audience to underscore the message of the action. Those moments evoke warm responses from the many young women in attendance.

The play's final moment with Bouldin and Gregory offering a loving tribute to Austen takes an evening of entertainment into a more thoughtful realm. Their different takes provide a wide range of possibility to appreciate her writing.

Complete Works of Jane Austen (Abridged), runs through August 23, 2026, at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 1195 Elm Street, Cincinnati OH. For tickets and information, please visit cincyshakes.com or call 513-381-2273.