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<\/p>\nOnstage through Oct. 11 at Stageworks Theatre in Tampa, Jane Austen in 89 Minutes is a fast-paced comedic farce that manages to compress all six of the 18th century novelist\u2019s books into \u2026 well, 89 minutes.<\/p>\n
As the theater\u2019s producing artistic director Karla Hartley is quick to point out during today\u2019s Arts Alive! interview, the show tends to run about 92 minutes. Because, she says, the audience is laughing so much.<\/p>\n
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Katherine Yacko in Stageworks\u2019 \u201cJane Austen in 89 Minutes.\u201d Publicity photo.<\/p>\n
Hartley is joined on the podcast by Katherine Yacko, who heads the six-member cast. Yacko is, indeed, Austen herself, who breaks the fourth wall to narrate for the audience, and to try to wrangle the wacky goings-on.<\/p>\n
Wacky, zany and madcap are words that surface during today\u2019s conversation.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the opening production in Stageworks\u2019 44th season, and although it\u2019s a mostly-Jane chat, we also discuss how Stageworks is coping with less arts funding than usual, Hartley\u2019s recent health scare and the four-year trajectory that\u2019s turned Yacko into one of the hardest-working thespians in the bay area.<\/p>\n
Watch the video conversation:<\/p>\n
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Here\u2019s the audio only, if that\u2019s your preference:<\/p>\n