February Events
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Several of us joined the Georgia Regency Society
for a tea party at the Town & Country Cafe
in Kennesaw this month.
It was good to see everyone from near and far.
in Kennesaw this month.
It was good to see everyone from near and far.
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Many preparations are underway in March for
our events during the rest of the year
beginning with the visit by JASNA president on the
weekend of April 21.
More info will be posted soon.
"Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life."
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Columbus Meeting - January 21, 2012
A group of 15 of us from as far away as Athens and Statesboro visited the Columbus Museum today to hear museum curator Kristen Miller Zohn reprise her 2011 AGM lecture: Tokens of Imperfect Affection: Portrait Miniatures and Hairwork in Sense and Sensibility. We were greeted by the speaker in full Regency attire to add to the ambience of our meeting.
Before we went to the museum we visited the fabulous Columbus Public Library that was built in 2005. It is thoughly modern, needless to say, and huge! Our host, Wanda, explained that the library was a $52 million dollar project that was funded by the local option sales tax and by the Friends of the Library organization. She said that the Friends group was the 4th or 5th largest in the country in terms of donations.
We came in from a side entrance and were immediately impressed by the spacious, completely equipped meeting rooms. (There was also an auditorium with stadium seating, but we couldn't visit it because of a meeting in progress.)
Phyllis, Jan, Nancy, Kristen, and Rita at the Museum.
Kristen showing some of the miniature portraits.
We enjoyed our lunch while Kristen treated us to her presentation on the history of portrait miniatures, on keepsake locks of hair woven into ornaments and on Austen's use of these in S&S. Kristen told us that "portrait miniature painting in watercolor is a particularly English art form, as in no other country was the tradition carried on for almost four hundred years."
Examples of miniature portraits.
Miniature portraits and ornaments made with woven hair.
Kristen explained that "in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, items of hairwork given as tokens of affection were popular, and rules about the exchange of hair jewelry were strictly respected." These tokens play important roles in Sense & Sensibility. For further reading, the full text of Kristen's research and excellent analysis has been published in JASNA's online Persuasions forum: Persuasions on-line
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A Visit to the Columbus Public Library
Before we went to the museum we visited the fabulous Columbus Public Library that was built in 2005. It is thoughly modern, needless to say, and huge! Our host, Wanda, explained that the library was a $52 million dollar project that was funded by the local option sales tax and by the Friends of the Library organization. She said that the Friends group was the 4th or 5th largest in the country in terms of donations.
We came in from a side entrance and were immediately impressed by the spacious, completely equipped meeting rooms. (There was also an auditorium with stadium seating, but we couldn't visit it because of a meeting in progress.)
Elizabeth and Stephanie on a 2nd floor interior balcony.
Librarian Wanda starting our tour in the children's section.
Phyllis, Rita, Stephanie, and Elizabeth in the children's story-telling room.
Nancy in the teen's literature section.
We found a small display of Jane Austen-related works. Nancy is holding up a copy of I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison. In the background on the table are pictures of the heroines of the movies Clueless and Emma. Some of the smaller pictures decorating the backdrop were from a book cover for Pride & Prejudice & Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith.
This was my favorite lounging/reading area in the library.
Mr. Bennet would have liked this space.
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Jane Austen 2011 Birthday Tea Party in Atlanta
Regency fashion was our theme this year and Stephanie, Angel, Amber and Rita were our models.
Regency era hat
Mrs. Fitzilliam Darcy
More fashions.
We enjoyed ourselves at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Atlanta this past Sunday, December 11, 2011. The food and tea were wonderful. People came from as far east as Athens and as far north as the Tennessee line. Everyone brought holiday foods and several varieties of tea.
REGENCY FASHIONS
Stephanie, President of the Georgia Regency Society, professional seamstress extraordinaire and veteran of many historical reenactments and other events gave a presentation on the history of the regency and on many of the styles in that era. Then she taught us some of the steps to making our own 'kits.'
JANE AUSTEN FAN FICTION (JAFF)
One of the most important rules in the entertainment fields is to always leave the audience wanting more. Unfortunately, Jane Austen ended up being very, very good in this respect. Six books are just not enough! Over the past few decades, dozens of authors have attempted to fill in this wretched chasm.
We passed around a copy of the recently published Fitzwilliam Ebenezer Darcy, which has been described as a cross between Pride & Prejudice and A Christmas Carol. This JAFF book was written by JASNA-Atlanta member Barbara Tiller Cole.
Another JAFF work discussed was Death Comes to Pemberley, a murder mystery set six years after Lizzy and Fitzwilliam settle down to their cozy little estate. It was written by British mystery novelist, P.D. James.
LINDA'S PERFORMANCE
We were delighted with Linda's one-person skit that she performed for us. It too is a type of Jane Austen fan fiction. The book Persuasion is still on everyone's mind after seeing Emory's production of it last month. It's Austen's shortest or second shortest novel and there are a few gaps that everyone always wonders about. Linda's performance consisted of three characters reading letters they have written to three other characters to help fill in those blanks.
The first was a letter from Anne Elliot's mom, written in her final months to her daughter. She encouraged Anne to marry for love but also to pay attention to the counsel that Lady Russell might give. The second letter was from Mrs. Smith to Anne in which she described her life in the West Indies in better days. It was a letter about loss in the past. The third letter was from Mrs. Clay to Mr. Elliot in which she paints a glorious picture of life that they would have together if he would join her in London. It was a letter about gain in the future. The whole performance was very entertaining and much enjoyed by all.
JANE AUSTEN BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 2012
Everyone enjoyed the library setting. The general consensus was that we should meet here again next year unless something better comes up by mid-year. If our numbers should swell, beyond 50, we could move into the church's large ballroom. A tentative date of Saturday, December 15, 2012, has been selected. Please pencil it in on your calendars!
Regency Tea Party
Sunday December 11, 2010
2:00 - 4:00 pm
All Saints Episcopal Church
corner of W. Peachtree & North Ave.
The Atlanta Jane Austen Society and the Georgia Regency Society will be co-hosting this year's holiday tea party and salute to Jane Austen. We are excited about meeting in the All Saints Episcopal Church for the first time! They have a comfortable library meeting space that is perfect for us.
The Georgia Regency folks will be wearing their Regency outfits, and president Stephanie Cote will do a short talk on Regency fashions.
And you're invited to take the stage and share with us ‘one thing very clever, be it prose or verse, original or repeated; or two things moderately clever; or three things very dull indeed.’
Admission: $5 to $10 donation plus your favorite hors d'oeuvres. Coffee and tea will be provided.
If questions contact Diane Brannen at 678-759-0923 or info@JasnaAtlanta.org.
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Theatre Emory Treats Atlanta Janeites to PERSUASION Adaptation
Professor Dabundo and her students attending the play at the Mary Gray Munroe Theatre, Emory University.
Read some of their reviews below.
How to handle the many changes of location? There were many scene changes in the two act play. We attended the play on the last day and these were all done flawlessly. But I wouldn't be surprised if there had been some mis-haps in the first few performances, with actors and techies moving furniture about in the semi-darkness.
How to handle all the letter-writing ("You pierce my soul.") and how to show the repressed turmoil in the hearts and minds of the characters? Much of this was done through soliloquies, especially by the lead actress playing Anne. For example while she was reading the letter from Wentworth in the stage front, the captain was in the background on an elevated platform, speaking the written words. Anne also makes impassioned speeches directly to the audience. This aspect of the staging reminded me of the Marriage of Figaro with its 'letter duet' and some other scenes. So it was appropriate that the final scene with the Wentworth-Elliot kiss should take place while an aria played. Afterwards, the effectiveness of these soliloquies was debated in our group, but I didn't join in. Like the person sitting two over from me, I was one of the ones who had to sneak a wipe at the eyes - especially after the speech where Anne is outraged and determined against Mr. Elliot upon learning of his true character from Mrs. Smith.
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Of course there will always be debate about anyone's interpretation of a work by an author as popular as Jane Austen. Read some of the reviews by students of Kennesaw State University who are studying in an upper level English class devoted to Jane Austen and taught by Professor Laura Dabundo.
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Review by Julie
I have been fervently reading the complete works of Jane Austen since September this year and had just finished her last novel, Persuasion, before attendingEmory University
With regards to the performance itself, I was particularly interested in how the play would be staged to sustain the audience’s attention, knowing that Persuasion is the most serious of Austen’s novels. For me, the play was successful in a number of ways.
There are a number of soliloquies throughout the novel that give the reader a glimpse into the innermost thoughts of Anne Elliot. This literary device was translated to the stage by the actress’s use of a technique known as breaking the fourth wall. The background lights were dimmed and a spotlight was directed to Anne’s face. She addressed the audience directly. The actress’s facial expressions, body language and hand gestures helped to communicate the sense of suffering Austen gives us in her novel. The second thing that I thought worked well was how the director organized the reading aloud of the letters that exist in the story. In particular, Anne began reading the letter addressed to Charles Smith from Mr Elliot when the lights dimmed and the focus was directed to the actual character of Mr Elliot. He began to speak the words of his own letter. The audience could see the shift in character that we expect of Mr Elliot through his body language and tone of voice. I was especially impressed with the playwright’s decision to blacken the room at the moment of Louisa’s fall. It was appropriate that the audience should imagine for themselves the details of the fall as we are encouraged to do in the novel.
The director did a great job of staying true to the novel except in one instance. I do not believe that Anne’s sister Mary is a humorous character in the novel. She certainly says some ridiculous things, but her character is not as witty as the performance made her out to be.
Overall, I think the playwright did a great job of re-creating Austen’s world. The simplistic set, the authentic costumes and the theatrical techniques employed all added to the overall success and believability of the play.
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Review by Abbie
I have been fervently reading the complete works of Jane Austen since September this year and had just finished her last novel, Persuasion, before attending
With regards to the performance itself, I was particularly interested in how the play would be staged to sustain the audience’s attention, knowing that Persuasion is the most serious of Austen’s novels. For me, the play was successful in a number of ways.
There are a number of soliloquies throughout the novel that give the reader a glimpse into the innermost thoughts of Anne Elliot. This literary device was translated to the stage by the actress’s use of a technique known as breaking the fourth wall. The background lights were dimmed and a spotlight was directed to Anne’s face. She addressed the audience directly. The actress’s facial expressions, body language and hand gestures helped to communicate the sense of suffering Austen gives us in her novel. The second thing that I thought worked well was how the director organized the reading aloud of the letters that exist in the story. In particular, Anne began reading the letter addressed to Charles Smith from Mr Elliot when the lights dimmed and the focus was directed to the actual character of Mr Elliot. He began to speak the words of his own letter. The audience could see the shift in character that we expect of Mr Elliot through his body language and tone of voice. I was especially impressed with the playwright’s decision to blacken the room at the moment of Louisa’s fall. It was appropriate that the audience should imagine for themselves the details of the fall as we are encouraged to do in the novel.
The director did a great job of staying true to the novel except in one instance. I do not believe that Anne’s sister Mary is a humorous character in the novel. She certainly says some ridiculous things, but her character is not as witty as the performance made her out to be.
Overall, I think the playwright did a great job of re-creating Austen’s world. The simplistic set, the authentic costumes and the theatrical techniques employed all added to the overall success and believability of the play.
Review by Abbie
As someone who is studying Jane Austen, of course I was ecstatic to see her novel being brought to life by real people. I jumped at the first opportunity of seeing Persuasion on stage, and at Emory, no less. I had been planning all week to get ready for the show on Sunday, November 13 to see Emory’s interpretation of this wonderful work of art. As I walked into the Black Box Theater, I was stunned by the amazing set they had built. Unfortunately, we were not able to take a picture on the steps of the stage, but we did manage a picture outside on the steps with Captain Benwick.
The play itself was very exciting and several of the characters did exceptionally well. However, their interpretation of Anne Elliot was not really how I pictured her in Austen’s novel. As I said in our Jane Austen studies class, I paralleled Anne Elliot with the quiet servitude of Fanny Price in Mansfield Park
My only concerns were with some of the liberties taken to show Anne Elliot’s and Captain Wentworth’s relationship. Anne had a moment on stage that was a bit awkward and nowhere to be found in the novel. She relates a story in her childhood about a horse that she took care of. I don’t believe that this story was necessary to Anne’s character, but it rather falls into the dramatic nature that they were going for. However, the final scene, when Anne and Frederick Wentworth finally get to be together, there was a wonderful scene of a kiss, that my other classmates found to be a bit over-the-top. I, on the other hand, loved this dramatic moment, because it shows all of the emotion that went into eight years of suffering in both Anne and Frederick. This interpretation of the novel was amazing to see and they did such a great job with it.
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Review by Brooke
Emory's production of Persuasion has certainly persuaded me that, like Captain Wentworth says of Anne, they are most “capable” of putting on a splendid performance. The setting was exquisite and the actors were superb (my personal favorite was Admiral Croft), all the making for quite an enjoyable experience, but this adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel was not as true as I would have liked. Persuasion is my favorite novel of Austen’s, so I was looking forward to seeing it dramatized, but I found myself seeing too many parallels to Pride and Prejudice. Anne’s heartbroken and gentle demeanor was turned into a happy and easily amused Elizabeth Bennet-like character, while the Miss Musgroves seemed to be channeling the spirits of Kitty and Lydia
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Review by Jeremy
I watched Emory University ’s production of Jane Austen’s Persuasion on Sunday, November 13, 2011 in the Dobb University Center
Key to the play’s success, Emily Kleypas provides an emotionally memorable performance as Anne Elliot. Whether interacting with other actors, reading letters, or performing monologues about the character’s inner turmoil, Kleypas’ Anne Elliot portrays a woman who regrets a lost love and a past of satisfying others despite her own desires. Even a viewer who did not know the story of Persuasion would sense her emotional register and take her thematic cues to heart.
At the center of Anne’s story is Captain Frederick Wentworth. Brian Kimmel’s performance as the confidant captain is tempered with regret like Kleypas’ Anne Elliot. Wentworth’s representation is that of the heartbroken man. The play juxtaposes the outwardly confidant Frederick with his own insecure side, showing a man in love and afraid to be hurt again.
Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot’s story is made believable by the actors’ skilled performances. The last scene in which Anne and Frederick’s story concludes is handled masterfully. The acting, set design, and soundtrack in this concluding scene combine into a memorable ending to this well-crafted play. This adaptation is a love story done right, just like Jane Austen’s stories themselves.
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Review by Brittany
"I … am not … well” groans the hypochondria-ridden version of Mary Musgrove. These words uttered by the inaccurate depiction of Mary sum up my feelings throughout the play. Running over three hours, one would think the play included the monumental moments within the novel, such as Anne’s conversation with Captain Harville and the sound unification of the characters in the novel’s close. However, this play proved to be quite the contrary, closing with an overly-dramatized scene between Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot, complete with archaic opera music, snow falling from the sky, and a never-ending kiss that had as much passion as a bowl of cereal. Though the play was comical at times and appealed to those that accompanied me who had never read the novel, it remains a disappointment. Its inaccuracy, exclusion of the novel’s key events, ill-portrayal of Austen’s characters, and superfluously theatrical and cliché ending left me believing the production only damaged the work. Emory’s adaptation of Persuasion only persuaded me to trust Austen’s masterpiece as she intended it: tangible, printed, and bound into a book.
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Review by Carly
Theater Emory presented a production of Persuasion by John Ammerman based on Jane Austen’s book Persuasion. Those who love the book came to the play with expectations, and for some they just were not met. While the script was not bad and the stage direction good, there were some actors that did not meet the standards held for them by the characters that Austen created.
All the characters were not badly performed. Sir Walter Elliot displayed excellently his egotism as he more than once was caught looking at himself in a pocket mirror. Admiral Croft’s good humor was felt and seen by all as well as the sweetness of his excellent wife Sophy. No, these characters were well done and enjoyable to watch. It was the overly sweet performance of Anne Elliot and the un-emotional Captain Wentworth that made their love story unbelievable.
In Austen’s novel Anne is portrayed as a woman past her prime but still one who has an intelligent and sound mind, a great knowledge of literature, a sweet spirit and an unassuming nature. In the play, however, there seemed to be more emphasis on the sweetness of Anne than anything else and at times she came across as silly as either Henrietta or Louisa (here the scene specifically thought of is when Anne is first noticed by Mr. Elliot). As for Captain Wentworth, his admiration for Anne did not come across as real. Nothing seemed different from the time that he was not talking to her till they were kissing in the rose light with snow falling around them.
Jane Austen is a difficult undertaking for a stage production as its drama is not intense and open but is contained more in the subtleties in language and behavior. Anne’s opinion of all that goes around her and her thoughts are really what sets the tone of the book. Unless there is someone dictating all her thoughts and emotions while the play was going on, there is not a great way of doing this and their attempt is at least commendable.
Review by Mallory
While Emory’s staging of Persuasion on November 13, 2011 certainly played up the dramatic moments in the novel—notably, Louisa’s fall and Anne’s reading of Captain Wentworth’s letter—the production seemed to employ Hollywood-esque staging at times that appeared to be more apt for the big screen. This quality emerged most often in Anne’s scenes. Instead of letting the audience know Anne’s thoughts about and analyses of Captain Wentworth, the production relied primarily on music to express Anne’s thoughts. When Anne realizes that she might never be together with Wentworth again, violins suddenly begin playing; likewise, when she and Wentworth are re-united at the end of the play, a dramatic opera song plays as they kiss. This final scene displays typical Hollywood qualities: the hero and heroine, finally together, share a kiss while music plays and the production concludes. Although this is perhaps the ending to Persuasion that some people desire, the production cuts the final conversation Anne and Wentworth have about their dedication to one another. Without this conversation, their relationship seems lacking. Nevertheless, the production did an excellent job of bringing other characters to life through their letters: the author of each letter read their letter in character as the recipient “reads” it. While we do not see Anne and Wentworth’s final exchange, the play offers us a chance to see some more of the characters’ qualities through their readings of their letters, creating a balance between the play’s depiction of the other characters and Anne and Wentworth.
While Emory’s staging of Persuasion on November 13, 2011 certainly played up the dramatic moments in the novel—notably, Louisa’s fall and Anne’s reading of Captain Wentworth’s letter—the production seemed to employ Hollywood-esque staging at times that appeared to be more apt for the big screen. This quality emerged most often in Anne’s scenes. Instead of letting the audience know Anne’s thoughts about and analyses of Captain Wentworth, the production relied primarily on music to express Anne’s thoughts. When Anne realizes that she might never be together with Wentworth again, violins suddenly begin playing; likewise, when she and Wentworth are re-united at the end of the play, a dramatic opera song plays as they kiss. This final scene displays typical Hollywood qualities: the hero and heroine, finally together, share a kiss while music plays and the production concludes. Although this is perhaps the ending to Persuasion that some people desire, the production cuts the final conversation Anne and Wentworth have about their dedication to one another. Without this conversation, their relationship seems lacking. Nevertheless, the production did an excellent job of bringing other characters to life through their letters: the author of each letter read their letter in character as the recipient “reads” it. While we do not see Anne and Wentworth’s final exchange, the play offers us a chance to see some more of the characters’ qualities through their readings of their letters, creating a balance between the play’s depiction of the other characters and Anne and Wentworth.
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And finally, Emory's student newspaper review: The Emory Wheel
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