"Lovers' Vows" Dramatization Wows an Enthusiastic JASNA Audience

Cast of "Lovers' Vows" following their performance.  Top row L ro R:  Darren Carroll, Andrea Hearn, Julia Seales, 

Adam Miller, Doug Murray.  Bottom row L to R: Killian Quigley, Caroline Davis, Debbie Carroll and Pablo Martinez Diente.

Under the able directorship of Professor Andrea Hearn, a cast of nine JASNA members and  friends gave a rousing performance of Elizabeth Inchbald's play, "Lovers' Vows," on Feb. 16 in Alumni Hall at Vanderbilt University. Using colorful costumes and "nifty" props, the actors performed with skill in this melodrama which is best known now for having been featured in Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park (1814).  Prior to the play, JASNA members Caroline Davis (Jane Austen) and Debbie Carroll (Elizabeth Inchbald) introduced the play in a very humorous way, setting the tone for the remainder of this lively performance.

February Program Features "Lovers' Vows"

 

Middle Tennessee Region JASNA Members-

You are cordially invited to a special staged reading of

"Lovers' Vows" *

Place: Vanderbilt Alumni Hall, Room 100**

Time: 4:00-6:00 PM

Date:  Feb. 16, 2014

Followed by an optional dinner at Cabana Restaurant***

Dinner Cost:  "Dutch-treat"-You pay for you own meal

Please RSVP to Mildred Tilley -- millietilley@gmail.com

to let her know if you:

1.  Plan to attend the play

or

2.  Plan to attend the play and meal at Cabana
(Mildred will make dinner reservations based on RSVP's)

* In 1814 Jane Austen featured Elizabeth Inchbald's popular play, "Lovers' Vows" (1798) into the plot of Mansfield Park.  This very popular, but "racy" play was used because it gave Mary Crawford and Edmund Bertram scope for talking of love and marriage as well as provided a pretext for the flirtations of Maria Bertram and Henry Crawford.  The subject matter of "Lovers' Vows" included adultery and kissing which would have been scandalous topics in polite society of that day.  This short adaptation of "Lover's Vows' directed by Dr. Andrea Hearn, allows audience members to sit back and enjoy a readers' theater version of the play featuring actors from Vanderbilt University, Belmont University and JASNA-Middle TN Region.

**Alumni Hall--See Vanderbilt University Campus Map at:   http://www.vanderbilt.edu/map/  (Get on site and type in "Alumni Hall" under Select a Building.)

Easy parking is readily available near Alumni Hall in the large parking lot of West End United Methodist Church, 2200 West End Avenue.  Park in the church lot, cross West End Ave. at the crosswalk in front of Vanderbilt Campus.  Walk straight into campus, turn right past Kirkland Hall and continue to Alumni Hall.

*** Cabana Restaurant  1910 Belcourt Avenue     Website:  http://cabananashville.com/  (map is on website)

Darcy is an INTJ. Who Knew??

JASNA member Caroline Davis

Middle Tennessee JASNA members celebrated Jane Austen's December birthday "in holiday style" at the beautifully decorated home of Carmen Gherman.  Following champagne toasts to Miss Austen, Mr. Darcy, Collin Firth's wet T-shirt, etc., those present were dazzled by an exceptionally creative and well-researched program, "The Darcy Dossier" by Caroline Davis.  In "The Darcy Dossier," Caroline explained in detail why such a quiet and at times, "off-putting," character has become one of the most "irresistible" leading men in English literature.  Described by Caroline as a character with a rather "modern personality," Darcy is seen by many readers as open and honest, sincere--not charming, not a "playa or a "houndog", but as a good listener who is a courteous gentleman. Moreover, he knows how to apologize and demonstrates humility and willingness to change.  Caroline also pegged Darcy in Myers-Briggs parlance as an INTJ or as Introverted, Perceptive, Thinking and Judging.  The group heard much about his personality traits and even learned some jobs for which he was most ill-suited:  elementary teacher, dental hygienist and sales clerk!!  Who knew??

2013 AGM in Minneapolis Dazzles JASNA Members

  Mary Tyler Moore Statue in downtown Minneapolis

The oft-cited adage "Minnesota Nice" certainly exemplified the pleasant and memorable time all JASNA participants had at the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Minneapolis in late September.  To honor the 200th anniversary of of Pride and Prejudice, this meeting's theme was Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...Timeless.  Elvira Casal from the Middle Tennessee Region, gave a well received presentation called "Mothers and Other Strangers: Images of Motherhood in Pride and Prejudice."  Other highlights included talks by plenary speakers John Mullen, Joan Ray, Janine Barchas and a panel from the Emmy-winning video blog series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. In addition to the traditional Regency promenade and ball, AGM goers could opt to attend a Pride and Prejudice Fashion Show and Tea, participate in a Whist Tournament as well as make bonnets, tams and ribbon headpieces. Tour options included the Sherlock Holmes collection at the University of Minnesota, historic St. Paul with an emphasis on F. Scott Fitzgerald, a Guthrie Theater Backstage Tour, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis Historic Pub Crawl and Tour, Historic Riverfront and Main Street Walking Tour and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Tour.  Many outstanding speakers from literally all over the world helped JASNA members gain deeper understandings of this "timeless" novel.

Mildred Tilley (l) and Jo Ann Staples (r)

enjoy a pre-banquet "tete a tete" with

"Queen Elizabeth" at the AGM

Costume designer Matthew Lefebvre of Minneapolis' 

GuthrieTheater talks about the fashions of the Regency era.

Model in the Regency Fashion Show

A 19th Century Victoria's Secret Model?

No, a JASNA member brave enough

to model undergarments from the Regency

Period in the JASNA Fashion Show!

Regency Period Antiques from author Candice Hearn's personal

collection included: Georgian and Regency jewelry, scent bottles,

vinaigrettes, purses, glassware, fashion prints, painted silhouettes, 

shoe buckles, quizzing classes, fans and more.

Elegant glass syllabub stand in a period room 

inside the Minnesota Institute of Art

A showy display of fall colors at the 

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Fall JASNA Meeting: "Performing to Strangers-The Courtship of Darcy and Elizabeth"

You are cordially  invited to JASNA's Fall meeting on Sunday, October 13.  Since this meeting will be held at the Green Hills Public Library instead of in a member's home, please feel free to invite a guest to come along with you.  There will be plenty of room for all!  Please note the slight time change from that of most of JASNA's Sunday meetings. 

Middle TN JASNA Meeting

Lecture by Dr. Elvira Casal

"Performing to Strangers:
The Courtship of Darcy and Elizabeth"

Sunday, Oct. 13 from 2:15 to 4:15 pm

Green Hills Public Library
3701 Benham Ave Nashville, TN 37215

Light Refreshments will be provided

Members are urged to bring a guest!

RSVP to Mildred Tilley at: millietilley@gmail.com

VULTURE.COM Ranks Jane Austen Movies-What a Hoot!

Click here to see the full article

Jane Austen's novels are so rich in plot, characterization, dialogue and humor that they have been a treasure trove for screen writers.  Vulture.com, a web site devoted to "devouring current culture" recently featured an article by Sarah Seltzer that ranks 21 Austen-related films. This list is purely personal, but is VERY funny. Here is what Ms. Seltzer says about "Becoming Jane" (2007),

A liberty-taking biopic, it commits the travesty of suggesting that Austen’s work was inspired by a man who trifled with her affections, fed her her cleverest lines, and then left her alone so she could marry her work. But it’s also a travesty because, well, we know Jane Austen. And Anne Hathaway, you are no Jane Austen.

For more of Ms. Seltzer's wit, click the link under the photo above.

Jane Austen's Likeness on English 10 Pound Notes Beginning in 2016

To read more about this change in currency, click here.

JASNA member Yvonne Boyer alerted the editor of this publication to the fact that the Bank of England has decided to put the face of Jane Austen on English 10 pound notes beginning in 2016. The Bank of England's new governor Mark Carney said  in a recent statement, "Her novels have an enduring and universal appeal and she is recognized as one of the greatest writers in English literature."  Austen's image will take the place of another iconic British writer, Charles Dickens, who face has previously appeared on 10 pound notes.