Though the dozens upon dozens of different dating websites clogging the Internet refuse to believe it, finding the flint that will make a spark between two people is as hard to guess as the winning numbers in a lottery. Shared interests provide a good foundation (though opposites can have long, happy marriages) and physical attraction is often important (though attraction can defy pictures), but what makes the magic happen remains impossible to define.
Jane Austen explored the joys and miseries of that little fact in “Emma,” which is coming to the Pioneer Theatre Company stage Feb. 17 through March 3 (tickets are available online). The show, like the well-known novel that came before it, focuses on a young woman absolutely convinced of her matchmaking skills. Her results, however, fall far behind anything eharmony could whip up (or even going around blindfolded and running into people). It takes several tangled relationships before young Emma realizes that not only does she not understand love nearly as well as she thinks she does, but that even her own heart can surprise her sometimes.
“Emma” has been the source of several movie and TV adaptations over the years (the most well-known is probably the movie “Clueless,” a loose 1995 modernization of the story). There have also been several stage adaptations, including a few musical versions (the version being used by Pioneer Theatre Company is a relatively recent take on the story by longtime playwright and director Jon Jory).
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