TheatreWorksS I L I C O N V A L L E Y

Jane Austen’s

Emma

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Table of Contents

For Teachers and Students• For Teachers: Using this Study Guide 4• For Students: The Role of the Audience 5

Exploring the Play • Jane Austen 6• Emma Plot Summary 7• Meet the Main Characters 8• Austen in Modern Pop Culture 9• Not “Just a Chick Flick” 10• About the Play and Playwright 11• Adapting a Story 12• Building a Story 13• Writing Your Own Adaptation 14• English Life in the 1800s 15• The Status of Women in the 1800s 16• Social Hierarchies in the 1800s 17• Social Hierarchies Today 18• After the Play: Exploring Themes 19• After the Play: Discussion Questions 20

Resources• STUDENT/Student Matinee Evaluation• TEACHER/Student Matinee Evaluation

Portrait of Jane Austen, painted by her sister Cassandra.

How to use this Study Guide

This guide is arranged in worksheets. Each worksheet or reading may be used independently or in conjunction with

others to serve your educational goals. Together, the worksheets prepare students for the workshops, as well as seeing

the student matinee of Jane Austen’s Emma produced by TheatreWorks, and for discussing the performance afterwards.

Throughout the guide you will see several symbols:

Means “Photocopy Me!” Pages with this symbol are meant to be photocopied and handed directly to students.

Means “English Language Arts.” Pages with this symbol feature lessons that are catered toCalifornia State English Language Arts standards.

Means “Theatre Arts.” Pages with this symbol feature lessons that are catered to California State Theatre Arts standards.

Means “Social Studies.” Pages with this symbol feature lessons that are catered to California State Social Studies standards.

For TeachersStudent matinee performances of Jane Austen’s Emma

will be held on December 10 & 15, 2015 at 11:00 am,

at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. The expected

runtime is approximatly 2 hours and 30 minutes, with

a 15 minute intermssion. The performance will be

followed by a discussion with actors from the show.

Student audiences are often the most rewarding and

demanding audiences that an acting ensemble can face.

Since we hope every show at TheatreWorks will be a

positive experience for both audience and cast, we ask

you to familiarize your students with the theatre

etiquette described on the following page.

4

All the work that goes into a production would mean nothing if there wasn’t an audience for whom to perform. As the

audience, you are also a part of the production, helping the actors onstage tell the story.

When the performance is about to begin, the lights will dim. This is a signal for the actors and the audience to put aside

concerns and conversation and settle into the world of the play.

The performers expect the audience’s full attention and focus. Performance is a time to think inwardly, not a time

to share your thoughts aloud. Talking to neighbors (even in whispers) carries easily to others in the audience and to the

actors on stage. It is disruptive and distracting.

Food is not allowed in the theatre. Soda, candy, and other snacks are noisy and therefore distracting. Please keep

these items on the bus or throw them away before you enter the audience area. Backpacks are also not allowed in the

theatre.

Walking through the aisles during the performance is extremely disruptive. Actors occasionally use aisles and stairways

as exits and entrances. The actors will notice any movement in the performance space. Please use the restroom and

take care of all other concerns outside before the show.

Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off before the performance begins. Do not text during

the performance, as it is distracting to the audience members around you.

What to bring with you:

Introspection

Curiosity

Questions

Respect

An open mind

What to leave behind:

Judgments

Cell phones, etc.

Backpacks

Food

Attitude

The Role of the Audience

5

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It seems she simply felt noaffection for the man.

Austen’s father fell ill,and died January 21,1805. This threw thefamily into turmoil—the Austen womenwere now entirelydependent on Jane’sbrothers to supportthem. For four yearsthey lived an unsettledlife, moving frequently until1809 when Jane’s brother Edward, who had been adopted by wealthy cousins, offered them a cottage in Chawton village. In this setting, Austen was finally able to return to her writing.

In 1811, with the help of her brother Henry, Austen founda publisher for Elinor and Marianne, retitled Sense andSensibility. The novel was printed anonymously—thetitle page indicated only that it was penned by “a lady.”Popular with readers and critics, it was followed in 1813by the publication of First Impressions, now called Prideand Prejudice. With the public hungry for more worksby the anonymous “lady,” Mansfield Park was printed in1814. Sales of Austen’s works were so strong, shemoved to a larger publishing house.

Emma was published in 1815, and Mansfield Parkreceived a second printing soon after. Though Emmadid well, sales of Mansfield Park’s reprint did not. Financial problems in the family prevented publicationof her next novel, The Elliots.

In 1816, Austen’s health began to decline. She continuedto work for some time, revising The Elliots and beginninganother novel, but by the spring of 1817 she was confinedto a bed, and in May she travelled to Winchester formedical treatment. She died there on July 18, 1817, and is buried in Winchester Cathedral.

After her death, Austen’s family arranged to have herremaining unpublished works printed. NorthangerAbbey and Persuasion, formerly known as Susan andThe Elliots, respectively, were published as a set collection, along with a biographical note finally identifying Austen as the author.

On December 16, 1775, Jane Austen was born toGeorge and Cassandra Austen, the seventh of eightchildren. The family was part of the lower echelon ofthe landed gentry, residing in Steventon, Hampshire,where George Austen was rector. To supplement theirincome, George also farmed and tutored.

While she was growing up, Austen’s family valued creativity and learning. Though she spent some time atboarding school studying French, music, and dancing,the majority of Austen’s education came from readingfrom her father’s vast library. She was encouraged toread, write, and draw, and the family frequently stagedplays in their home. It was in this nurturing environmentthat one of England’s greatest literary minds was formed.

By the age of twelve, Austen began filling volumes withpoems and fiction. She tried out various forms, parodyingpopular literature in her original stories and poems.These works would be published under the title Juvenilia years after her death.

In 1795, Austen completed Lady Susan, a short epistolarynovel which marked a turning point in her writing. Shethen began work on her first full-length novel, Elinorand Marianne.

Though little is known of her personal life, her letters indicate that a relationship bloomed between Austenand Thomas Lefroy in December, 1795. Lefroy was thenephew of a neighbor, who relied on external financialsupport while he studied. Lefroy's family took note ofthe flirtation and sent him away, as Austen’s financialprospects weren’t any better than his. The two werekept apart for the remainder of their lives.

The period that followed was a productive one. The first draft of her second novel, which she calledFirst Impressions, was completed by 1799. She also revised Elinor and Marianne, and drafted a third noveltitled Susan.

In 1800, George Austen surprised everyone by retiringand moving the family to Bath. Jane did not welcomethe change, as it meant leaving the only home she’dever known. She wrote little—making a few revisions toSusan, starting and then abandoning another novel. In 1802 Austen received a marriage proposal from Harris Big-Wither, the brother of an old friend. The matchwould have secured her family’s future, and for that reason she accepted. The next day, however, she recanted.

Jane Austen

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Emma Plot SummaryThe musical Emma is an adaptation by Paul Gordon ofthe novel of the same name, written in 1816 by acclaimedEnglish novelist Jane Austen.

The play opens at the wedding of Miss Taylor (Emma’sformer governess) and Mr. Weston. Emma credits herselfwith having made the match. Though Emma delights in her talent at uniting couples, she declares herself immune to romance and swears she’ll never marry. Mr.Knightly, Emma’s brother-in-law, seems to be the onlyperson unconvinced by Emma’s talents, and fears thather good intentions may do harm.

Having lost her governess, Emma befriends a prettyyoung girl named Harriet Smith. Though Harriet has noidea who her parents are (and thus, which social classshe truly belongs to) Emma prefers to believe that Harriet’s mysterious past is an advantage; for all theyknow Harriet could be royalty. Emma is consumed bythe idea of matching Harriet with Mr. Elton, the youngvicar, despite the fact that Harriet has already received a proposal from her friend Mr. Martin.

Because the Woodhouse family belongs to the highestsocial class, Harriet trusts Emma’s advice blindly. Harrietallows herself to be persuaded to reject Mr. Martin’sproposal, and instead attempts to make herself favorableto Mr. Elton. The plan backfires when Mr. Elton revealshis true feelings—for Emma! Harriet is devastated, Eltonis offended, and Emma is confounded by her utter misunderstanding of the situation.

Meanwhile, Emma has learned that Mr. Frank Churchill,one of very few available men suited to her social class,will be arriving in town shortly. Despite her earlier declarations against matrimony, Emma convinces herself that perhaps she could make an exception forMr. Churchill. Shortly after meeting him, however,Emma’s affections cool and she decides (once again)that she has found the right man for Harriet.

Emma continues to misread the situations at hand,causing social blunders and hurt feelings. Eventually,Emma is forced to question her ability at matchmaking,and her motives for attempting it. It isn’t until she givesup on everyone else’s love lives that Emma starts to payattention to her own, and proper matches evolve naturally.

TheatreWorks’ world premiere cast of Emma, 2007 / Photo David Allen

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Emma Woodhouse is twenty years old, and described inthe novel as “handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfort-able home and happy disposition.” She believes she is agood matchmaker, but is utterly uninterested in romanceherself.

Mr. Woodhouse is Emma’s devoted father. He hopesEmma will never marry so he will never be left alone.

Mr. Knightly is Emma’s brother-in-law. He is in his late thirties, and is a close friend of the Woodhouses.

Harriet Smith is a pretty but unrefined orphan girl of seventeen befriended by Emma. She becomes the center of Emma’s matchmaking schemes.

Mr. Elton is a young vicar. He is the first in a series ofmen Emma hopes to unite with Harriet.

Robert Martin is a twenty-four year old farmer. HarrietSmith is a close friend of the Martin family, and Roberthopes to marry Harriet.

Miss Bates is a middle-aged spinster and friend of Mr.Woodhouse. She is the aunt of Jane Fairfax.

Jane Fairfax is Emma’s rival, as both women are young and matched in accomplishment. Jane, however, is not aswealthy as Emma, and as such may have to seek employmentas a governess.

Frank Churchill is the son of Mr. Weston, though he liveswith his aunt and uncle and therefore does not reside in thesame community as Emma. His reputation and social stand-ing lead Emma to believe he will make a great match forher, though when the story begins she has never met him.

Mrs. Elton is Mr. Elton’s wife. She is fairly attractive, some-what accomplished, and has a bit of wealth, but her vanityand superficial nature offend others.

Mr. Weston is a widower with one son, Frank Churchill. At the opening of the story, he marries Emma’s former governess.

Mrs. Weston had been Emma’s governess, before she married Mr. Weston. She is Frank Churchill’s stepmother.

Meet the Main Characters

Renderings by costum

e designer Fumiko Bielefeldt

9

Austen in Modern Pop CultureThough Jane Austen’s novels have been popular sincethe Regency era, modern fascination with Jane Austenresurged in 1995. That was the year the BBC’s wildlypopular adaption of Pride and Prejudice was broadcast,starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, followed by thepremiere of Emma Thompson’s Academy Award-winningfilm adaption of Sense and Sensibility, starring Thompson,Kate Winslet, and Hugh Grant. 1995 also saw the releaseof a young, contemporary retelling of Austen’s Emmaset in Beverly Hills: Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone.The next decade brought more star-studded adaptations,including Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1996 Emma and KeiraKnightley’s 2005 Pride and Prejudice.

The most recent developments in the Austen fandomhave been original stories inspired by the worlds of herworks, such as the novels

Pride and Prejudiceand Zombies, DeathComes to Pemberly,and Longbourn; andthe viral video series“The Lizzie BennetDiaries.” In theseworks, contemporaryauthors tell storiesthat extend or twistthe characters,places, and eventsthat Austen created.Longbourn, for

example, recountsPride and Prejudice through the eyes of the

domestic staff of the Bennet household, providing awholly fresh perspective on the now very familiar tale of the Bennet sisters. Death Comes to Pemberly startswith Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy six years after theirmarriage and quickly develops into a murder mystery,weaving a deadly new plot using Austen’s characters as a framework.

“The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” goes further in the realm ofvicariously living in Austen’s world. It is a series of videoblogs, social media posts, and websites that imagine the story of Lizzie Bennet as a modern 24 year-old communications graduate student. The multiplatformformat encouraged viewer participation, as viewerscould tweet at characters to give them moral support,or make posts on Facebook that might get incorporatedin the next installment of the series. The series won an

Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program in2013, and marked a new format through which Austenfans could live out their love for Austen’s world.

The most active admirers of Jane Austen and her workshave earned their own title—“Janeites.” The term wasoriginally coined by a 19th century academic to refer tohis own literary appreciation of Austen. It is used nowadays to refer to a less academic and more theatricalAusten hyper-fan: one who sews her own Regency teagowns, sings light art songs accompanied by the pianoforte, and writes her close acquaintances letters in Regency-style language.

Janeites have gatherings for balls and socials, wherethey can mix and mingle according to the strict rules ofRegency modesty, but the largest gathering happensone weekend a year at the Annual General Meeting ofthe Jane Austen Society of North America, or JASNA.The weekend features speakers, events, workshops, andpresentations of literary research all related to JaneAusten. This next year the General Meeting will be heldin Washington, DC—the theme is Emma at 200: “NoOne But Herself.”

The strange and devoted world of Janeites has becomethe basis for yet other movies (Lost in Austen, BridgetJones’ Diary, Austenland ) and has been the subject ofstudy by sociologists. Critics of modern Janeites accusethem of having fallen in love with a fantasy version of the Regency world in which Austen’s books are set, andof not understanding how Austen’s characters arethemselves frustrated by that world. They assert thatJaneites are using their fandom as an outlet for theirdesire to return to a simpler, more rigidly structured,more formalized time. Whatever critics may say, thepopularity and social organization of Janeites seems toindicate that they will be around to celebrate Emma’sbirthday for many more years to come.

“Two hundred years after [Austen’s]novels were written, she’s ascendedto that level where her work is widely

imitated, flippantly quoted, frequently ripped off, and, yes,

very much revered.”The Washington Post

Advertisement for the s

uccessful Hollywood film

,

Clueless, based on Jane

Austen’s popular novel,

Emma.

10

Not “Just a Chick Flick”Read the following excerpt from Gloria Steinem’s article, titled “A Modest Proposal,” and be preparedto discuss your answers to the questions below.

To the Young Man on the Plane from Los Angeles to SeattleWho Said of the Movie That Most Passengers—Male andFemale—Voted to Watch, "I don't watch chick flicks!"

So what exactly is a "chick flick?" I think you and I couldprobably agree that it has more dialogue than specialeffects, more relationships than violence, and relies forits suspense on how people live instead of how they die.

I'm not challenging your choice; I'm just questioning theterm that encourages it. After all, if you think back toyour school days, much of what you were assigned asgreat literature could have been dismissed as "chicklit." Indeed, the books you read probably only survivedbecause they were written by famous guys.

Think about it: If Anna Karenina had been written byLeah Tolstoy, or The Scarlet Letter by Nancy Hawthorne,or Madame Bovary by Greta Flaubert, or A Doll's Houseby Henrietta Ibsen, or The Glass Menagerie by (a female)Tennessee Williams, would they have been hailed asuniversal? Suppose Shakespeare had really been The DarkLady some people supposed. I bet most of her plays andall of her sonnets would have been dismissed as someElizabethan version of ye olde "chick lit," only to be resurrected centuries later by stubborn feminist scholars.

Indeed, as long as men are taken seriously when theywrite about the female half of the world—and womenaren't taken seriously when writing about themselvesmuch less about men or male affairs—the list of GreatAuthors will be more about power than about talent.”

Questions to Consider

What is Steinem’s objection to the term “chick flick?”

What do Anna Karenina, The Scarlet Letter, Madame Bovary, and the other novels and plays mentioned in thefourth paragraph have in common?

What does Steinem mean when she says “The list of Great Authors will be more about power than about talent?”

How does Jane Austen’s recent popularity affect that list?

In your opinion, are female authors given the respect that their male counterparts receive?

Gloria Steinem is one of the most influential andinspirational women of our time. In the 1960s,Steinem became an activist and spokesperson forthe feminist movement and has had active roles inmany feminist organizations. In 1971, she foundedMs Magazine, a popular magazine with a feministviewpoint. She was a co-convener of the NationalWomen’s Political Caucus and she helped establishthe Women’s Action Alliance, a group opposed tosocial and economic discrimination. She is a foundingmember of the Coalition of Labor Union Womenand in 1972 she helped found the Ms. Foundationfor Women, an organization dedicated to assistingunderprivileged women.

In addition to being an activist, Steinem is also anaccomplished writer. She has published severalbooks, and has written for New York Magazine, aweekly she helped found in 1968.

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About the Play and PlaywrightTheatreWorks audiences firstbecame acquainted with com-poser Paul Gordon’s work whenwe produced Jane Eyre in 2003,following its seven-month run onBroadway. With music and lyricsby Gordon and book by JohnCaird, the Broadway productiongarnered five Tony Award nominations, including Best

Musical and Best Original Score. TheatreWorks’ production was a much-acclaimed hit, and establishedwhat would become a very special relationship between Gordon and the TheatreWorks community.

Following Jane Eyre, Gordon turned his attention toJane Austen’s Emma, a novel he’d long dreamt of musicalizing. Though he was wary of becoming knownas “the guy who took 19th century novels with awoman’s name in the title and turned them into musicals,” he took the plunge and started writing, thistime writing both the music and the book.

Emma first graced TheatreWorks’ stage during theNew Works Festival in 2006, directed by Artistic Director Robert Kelley. Even in its infancy the showproved a promising contender for a mainstage production.Later that year Gordon presented a 45-minute versionat the National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival inNew York, and in January 2007 he continued honingthe script at TheatreWorks’ annual Writer’s Retreat. InFebruary, TheatreWorks announced that Emma wouldbe part of the next mainstage season. As Gordon continued revising the script, TheatreWorks assembledan incredible team of designers, actors, musicians, andtechnicians to bring the show to life under Kelley’s direction.

TheatreWorks’ world premiere production openedin August 2007, marking the company’s 50th world premiere. It was a momentous occasion, made all thebetter by the fact that the show was TheatreWorksborn and bred. Emma was all anyone could have hopedfor, and became one of the biggest hits in TheatreWorkshistory. It smashed box office records, and drew morepatrons than any previous production.

Word of Emma’s success spread fast, and soon BayArea audiences weren’t the only ones humming Gordon’stunes. In 2008, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park andRepertory Theatre of St. Louis co-produced the show,

directed by Kelley with TheatreWorks’ original leadingactors. Subsequent productions at the Old Globe in SanDiego in 2011, and Arizona Theatre Company in 2012featured primarily new casts and directors, and a newtitle: Jane Austen’s Emma.

In the meantime, TheatreWorks’ audiences continuedto enjoy Gordon’s new works. TheatreWorks teamedup with Ventura’s Rubicon Theater to co-produce theworld premiere of Daddy Long Legs, another collaborationwith book writer John Caird, at the Mountain ViewCenter in January 2010. It has since been producedthroughout the country, as well as in Canada, Tokyo,and London’s West End, a total of 15 productions. It isnow playing at the Davenport Theatre off-Broadway inNew York.

TheatreWorks audiences saw a somewhat different sideof Gordon with the 2013 world premiere of BeingEarnest, written with Jay Gruska. This new musicalreimagined Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of BeingEarnest in 1960s London, retaining much of Wilde’stext but inserting original, ‘60s inspired music. Thoughmarkedly different from the period musicals we’d seenfrom him before, Being Earnest was close to Gordon’sroots. In his “former life” (before he began writing forthe theatre), Gordon was a songwriter for major musicpublishing companies, with several hits on the BillboardPop Charts. Clearly, Paul Gordon’s music and talenttranscend traditional genres.

As much as we’d like to claim Gordon exclusively as ourown, he’s penned a number of other musicals that havebeen performed at companies around the country. Priorto Jane Eyre, Gordon co-wrote the musical GreetingsFrom Venice Beach with Jay Gruska, which was pro-duced in Hollywood in 1992. The duo also adapted thefilm The Front for the stage. Gordon’s Analog and Vinylpremiered at the Weston Playhouse Theatre Companyin Vermont last year, his new adaptation of Sense andSensibility was produced at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in the spring, and Death: The Musical had itsfirst reading at Village Theatre in Issaquah, Washingtonlast summer. The holiday oriented Little Miss Scrooge,a collaboration with John and Sam Caird, is currently in development.

This holiday season, though the show and its creatorhave garnered acclaim far and wide, we are thrilled towelcome our Emma back to its TheatreWorks home.

Adapting a Story

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Many of the movies and plays you see today are actuallyadaptations, meaning they are based on a story alreadywritten. An adaptation may simply present the charactersand plot points of a novel as they were originally written,or it may change the setting and situation of the story.For example, the 1996 film Emma, starring GwynethPaltrow, is a fairly literal translation of Jane Austen’snovel, while 1995’s Clueless takes the same plot elementsand gives them a modern twist. Both screenwriters usedthe same source material, both probably went througha process similar to the one outlined below, but theirend results were very different.

Identify what grabbed you emotionally about thestory. Before you start to form the plot and characters,decide the feeling you want to invoke in the audience.

Decide when and where you’re setting your adaptation,if you’re departing from the original. Changing yoursetting to modern times can make it more accessible to today’s audiences, or putting it in a different era canhighlight the universality of the story and the emotion it evokes.

Pare down the story to only the most important plotpoints. A novel may tell a story in hundreds of pagesthat a film or stage adaptation would have to tell inroughly two hours. Which parts of the plot are the mostimportant? What is extra, and might be cut out? Whenyou’re outlining the plot, ask yourself if each scene helpsto invoke the emotion you identified in the first step.Every scene doesn’t have to convey that feeling, butthey should all should help carry the story to that place.

Questions to Consider

Can you think of other examples of classic stories adapted for modern productions?

When the writer/director decides to change the original setting, what happens to the story? What does it sayabout the source material, and what does it say about the new setting they’ve chosen?

What stories might you like to see adapted for modern audiences?

Decide which characters and locations are needed to tell the story. The number of characters in a stage or film production should be kept small. Hiring more actors is not only costly, but too many characters can beconfusing to the audience in a story only two hourslong. If a character has a minor part and doesn’t affectthe story much, leave that character out. When writingfor the stage, do the same thing for locations: only usethe most essential settings. A play can be very successfulin only one place—no need for set changes! Films havea little more freedom because scenes can be shot inmany different locations.

Consider the conventions of your medium. A novel is not likely to include songs, but a musical adaptationcertainly would. If you’re writing a screenplay, you mightshow the passage of time through a montage. Keep inmind the different ways that you can convey emotion or plot points that are different from the way they’represented in a book. Begin writing the adaptation.Once you’ve outlined your scenes, you’re ready to startwriting dialogue. Use your source material as a guide,but you won’t want to copy it verbatim. If writing for thestage, include any essential stage directions. If writingfor film, make sure your writing is very visual.

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Building a StoryWhether you’re writing an original story or adapting anexisting one, you’re always thinking about what comesnext. A plot is essentially that—what comes next. Oneway to think of your plot is to think of the journey thecharacters are taking. What pictures would they takealong the way? Thinking of stories as journeys helps usthink of the beginning, middle, and end.

Some plots are like lines on the floor,

_ _ _ _ _ _

or like the alphabet,

A B C D E . . .

or like numbers

1 2 3 4 5 . . .

In these plots the events happen one after the other,just like they would happen in your day. Somethinghappens because something before it happened, andthere is cause and effect. One way to think of this islike a mountain:

Peak of the mountain

Time moves in one direction

Beginning action End of the story

In this type of story, something generally changesfrom the beginning to the end. Perhaps a characterchanges; that is, the character may start out thinkingone way, but by the end of the story, thinks anotherway. Or maybe the situation changes. For example,a town starts out poor, but something happens so thetown ends up rich.

Can you think of some stories that happen like this?Pick a story in class and read it. Discuss how the plotmoves, and think about the pictures that tell the story.

The Building Blocks“Tableau” is the french word for a “painting.” In theatre, a tableau is a technique actors use to create afrozen picture on stage. These frozen pictures, or images, can actually look extremely active when executed well. Guide your students through the following tableau exercises and see what kinds of stories they are able to tell with their frozen bodies!

Tableaux in PairsStudents in groups of two should find a space in theroom where they can explore movement together.Start with students shaking hands and making eyecontact. Then ask them to freeze. The first time you dothe exercise, have students create a nonsense tableau(frozen picture with their bodies) in which you cuethem to move while maintaining some point of contactuntil you say freeze. They can name their tableau ifthey want to. This just gets them used to movingtogether. Then instruct them to create a tableau thatdepicts an emotion in relationship to one another. Usewords to cue them such as joy, sadness, anger, grief,love, pain, despair, and weariness.

Tableaux in GroupsArrange students into groups of four or five. Tell themthey are going to create a tableau depicting varioussituations with their entire group. They do not have tohave a point of contact with each group member,rather they are trying to create the most interestingpicture with different people playing different roles.Give them a series of situations such as a wedding,discovering a treasure, a long journey, parents’ disapproval, a secret meeting. Following each situation,have them practice transitioning from one situation toanother so that they memorize their body positions ineach tableau. Once they have established each of theirtableau positions, direct the groups to put them inorder so that it tells a story that makes sense to them.Each group can then present their stories to the entireclass.

Writing Your Own AdaptationAs a class, decide on a story that everyone knows. Ifyou’ve recently finished reading a book in class, thatwould be a great place to start. You may use Emma,but in that case you may want to choose a differentsetting so that your adaptation doesn’t end up toomuch like the play you are about to see. Youngerclasses may want to pick a fairy tale or some otherwell-known story.

Decide together what your setting will be, which plotpoints you want to dramatize, and which charactersand locations are being used. Also decide whetheryou’re writing a movie screenplay or a script for thestage.

Divide the class up into groups so that there is onegroup developing each scene (determined by howmany plot points you identified earlier).

Each group is responsible for writing their assignedscene. Groups should keep in mind which charactersand/or locations have been cut, if any.

When all the groups have finished, have them sharetheir work by reading or performing their finishedscenes. Present scenes in order, so when all groupshave gone, the whole story has been told.

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Title of the story you’re adapting:_____________________________________________________________________________

Original setting:_____________________________________________________________________________________________

When and where does your adaptation take place?______________________________________________________________

Necessary Characters:________________________________________________________________________________________

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Scenes to include:___________________________________________________________________________________________

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As Jane Austen was writing her novels, England was experiencing great change. The population had nearlydoubled since 1760, the Industrial Revolution waschanging lives, and the enclosure acts were privatizingpublic grazing land. In addition, in 1811 King George IIIwas declared insane and his son became Prince Regent,giving rise to the period called The Regency (1811-1820).

At the top of society was the aristocracy, about 200families of immense wealth and power. Below themwere the landed gentry, often seen in Austen’s novels,some of whom were titled and some who were not. Inthese families the eldest son inherited the estate andthe younger sons had to find an income, usually fromthe church, the armed forces, or the law. The remainingclasses were the middle class, followed by tradesmenand tenant farmers, then laborers and servants, and finally, the poor.

Life was ruled by a strict code of manners. For example,first names were rarely used outside the family, and between men and women the use of first names wasunthinkable unless they were engaged or related.

Most private activities including reading, drawing, orletter writing were done before breakfast. Letter writingwas a popular activity since it was the only way to communicate across long, or even short, distances. Dueto cost, most letters were one page, so people becameexpert at both writing in very small letters, and writingcrossways across already written text.

Dinner was the largest meal and biggest event of theday, served with as many courses as the budget allowed.After dinner, the women left the table for the drawingroom, leaving the men to drink and smoke. After anhour or so, the men rejoined the women, and the whole

English Life in the 1800s

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party had tea, which was still an expensive commodity,kept under lock and key.

In the evening, everyone would talk, play cards, orenjoy live music played and sung primarily by thewomen of the party. Sometimes, after dinner, animpromptu dance would occur, but more exciting wasto attend a ball. Like everything else in society, therewere strict rules governing behavior, including a prohibitionagainst casual conversation without a formal introduction,but dancing offered unprecedented opportunities forprivate conversations that were forbidden anywherebut on the dance floor.

The Regency was a difficult time for women. What littleeducation they received was usually aimed at attractinga husband. Generally, women of the gentry did notwork (there were exceptions including teachers andgovernesses), and had to make a good marriage inorder to secure their social position and their livelihood.Courtship was complicated by rules established to protecta woman’s reputation. For example, before a couplewas engaged, they could not use first names, be alonetogether, or correspond. Any deviation might imply aloss of virtue for the woman.

Women were usually married by twenty-five, althoughmany married in their teens. Often they had many children, and death in childbirth was not uncommon.Three of Austen’s brothers lost wives in childbirth, twowith their eleventh child. Women who never marriedhad to rely on relatives for their support, or find work ina world of limited opportunity.

Women such as Austen were beginning to break thismold. The relatively new genre of the novel attracted anumber of female authors, although many looked downon them and their work. It would be many years beforethe idea of independent women gained society’s respect.

Questions to Consider

How is your life different now than it would havebeen in the 1800s? What role has technologyplayed in changing society?

Do you think there are still social classes in oursociety? Compare and contrast today’s socialstructure with that of nineteenth century England.

During Jane Austen’s time, the status of women wasvastly different from today. Women were seen by mostas subservient to men. A woman was expected to stayin the home, raise the children and create a warm, comfortable environment for her husband. She had almost no legal rights and was expected to have evenfewer ambitions. In England, these notions of femininitywere forwarded by organizations like the Women’s Missionwhich advocated that a woman become an "Angel ofthe Hearth," caring for the private home while her husband dealt with the public world. Not only did mostpeople believe a "woman’s place was in the home" but,the ideal woman of the period possessed several essentialqualities including self-restraint, self-sacrifice on behalfof others, gentleness, delicacy, and obedience.

Before marriage, a girl of the upper and middle classesspent her time mastering duties associated with womanhood. She would learn to sew, embroider andknit with grace, perfect a foreign language (most likelyFrench) and learn to play an instrument. She alsolearned the proper decorum and etiquette of entertainingin her home. Girls had limited academic opportunities.Although most girls from the middle and upper classwere educated by governesses or sent to boardingschools while young, they were barred from advancededucation. Strong emphasis was placed on femalefriends and maintaining solid relationships with thewomen in one’s life. Most middle class women of 19thcentury England spent their lives in the company ofother women: sisters, teachers and friends. While single,women under the age of thirty were not permitted tobe in the same room with a man unchaperoned, unlesshe was a close relative like a brother, father, or uncle.

Women had little choice in whether they wanted tomarry. Remaining single invited particular hardship onthem, both financially and socially. Wealthy familiespassed down the bulk of their money to the sons; girlsonly received a small percentage intended to coverbasic day to day needs. In theory, marrying ensured awoman that she would be taken care of financially sincemost middle and lower-class families could not afford tokeep their daughters at home after marrying age (theirearly twenties). Moreover, even if they didn’t want toget married, few women could afford to remain single,as few professions were open to them. Women withoutfinancial security had only two respectable professionsto pursue; they could become a teacher or governess.

The Status of Women in the 1800s

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Socially, the woman who remained single was pitied anddisapproved of. Divorced women (a rare phenomenon),unmarried mothers, and children, especially girls, bornout of wedlock were all seen as outcasts.

Even when married, many women suffered hardship.Legally, a woman gave up all her rights to her husband.For example, everything a woman owned, inherited orearned, as well as her children, would belong to herhusband. She had no right to leave her spouse even incases of cruelty and adultery.

In the decades that followed the publication of Emma,many English writers and thinkers began to ponder the"Women Question," asking whether women possessedmore intellectual ability than merely sewing and entertaining, and questioned the type of educationwomen should receive. As a result of these questions,the first institute of higher education for women was established in London in 1849. Legally, women werealso starting to gain ground. Beginning during the1840s, British novelist Caroline Norton actively campaignedfor better rights for women, and by the 1880s she hadsuccessfully secured pivotal rights for women includingthe right to ask for a divorce from a cruel or adulteroushusband and the right to retain one’s own money andproperty after marriage.

Women also began asking if certain qualities belongedto a man alone. Could a woman possess "manly" qualitieslike self-assertion and ambition without forsaking herwomanhood? Charlotte Brontë, author of Jane Eyre,was one of these women. In her letters and her novels,Brontë consistently called for equality of intellect andsocial ranking between men and women. Her novelcaused quite a stir in England when it was published because Brontë’s heroine Jane is independent and passionate, and Jane (acting as Brontë’s mouthpiece)expressed views of equality between the sexes thatwere seen as radical by many.

Questions to ConsiderHow has life changed for women in the past twohundred years? What challenges do women stillface in achieving equality?

What role does literature play in changing society?

Social Hierarchies in the 1800sSocietal structures in nineteenth century England were very rigid and, for the most part, readily accepted by people asright, good, and the proper order of things. It was so rigid that you could pretty much fit everyone into a category.Below is a breakdown of the social hierarchy in a pyramid formation.

Where would Emma Woodhouse have fit into this pyramid? How about Mr. Elton? Given her unknown origins,what class do you think Harriet Smith would have belonged to? Think about the characters in Emma, and write theirnames in at their proper level on the pyramid below.

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The Upper ClassNobility, Gentry, GentlemenThe upper class was made up of the nobility (dukes, marquees, earls, viscounts, barons) and the gentry(baronets, knights, and gentlemen.) “Gentlemen” wasa generic term used to describe a large number ofpeople in a wide variety of circumstances, however, there were some requirements for thisterm: one had to have at least two servants(one male and one female), a carriage, andmust own land. They made money off theirland, but did not perform manual labor.

The Middle ClassDoctors, Clergy

The middle class consisted mainly of doctors and the clergy. The minimumqualifications for being middle class wasto have servants and a carriage. Themain difference between the middleand upper classes was ownership ofland. Sometimes a doctor mightown a house but not a substantialpiece of land like an estate, sohe still had to work for a living and was thereforeconsidered middle class.The other main differencebetween middle andupper class familiesis that middle classfamilies were notgiven titles.

The Lower ClassTradesmen, Apothecaries, Working Poor, Farm Laborers, Servants

Anyone who handled money or performed manual labor was considered lower class.

Social Hierarchies TodayBy now you’ve learned all about the social class system in England during the early nineteenth century. While the boundaries are no longer as distinct, social classes based on wealth, education, and many other factors are still presentin our lives today. See the graphic below to see a modern breakdown of social classes.

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Questions to ConsiderDo you think it is possible to rise to a higher social class than you are born in?

What do you think about the idea of Meritocracy?

Social hierarchies are present in just about every society. Even high schools have their own distinct class structure:cliques determined by the kind of activities students participate in, the clothes they wear, the music they listen to,etc. Many popular movies depict the social structures of high school, including Clueless (a modern day adaptationof Emma) and the more recent Mean Girls. Do you feel these representations of high school are accurate?

Are the cliques in these movies similar to ones in your school? How so?

Some people argue that America is a “Meritocracy,” meaning that ourupper class is made up of people ofgreat talent and intelligence, not people who were merely bornwealthy. Indeed, it is the very root of the American dream: that anyone,regardless of wealth or social standing,can work hard and make a good lifefor him/herself.

While it is true that a person’s socialclass is no longer determined by birth,it is hard to ignore the advantagesgiven to children of the upper classes.Their parents can afford to live in the best communities with the bestschools, and support edifying extracurricular activities. They are ableto devote their high school years tocompiling impressive college applications, which in turn allow themto attend prestigious universities, obtain high paying jobs, and passtheir success on to their own children.That isn’t to say that exceptional students from lower class families cannot do the same, they just facemore obstacles along the way.

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After the Play: Exploring ThemesThe following themes are present in both the novel and the musical adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma. Read the explanation of each theme and, in the space provided, write down examples from the story that illustrate these themes.If you’ve read the book, cite specific passages. If not, describe relevant scenes that you remember from the musical.

MarriageIn the 1800s, marriage was often considered to be aneconomic arrangement rather than a union of two people in love. This is not to say that love was not a factor, or that it did not prevail in some cases. However,people did not often marry without attention to the financial and social standings of the people involved,especially in the middle and upper classes.

There is no shortage of marriages taking place inEmma, and no shortage of attention to class withinthese marriages. Think about the matches made, andthe degree of social suitability each couple embodies.Do some characters marry outside their class? What obstacles do they encounter?

Imagination vs. Objective JudgementIt can sometimes be difficult to view a situation withoutany amount of bias. After all, every person has his or herown perspective based on life experiences. In mostcases a personal slant is not a dangerous thing, buttrouble occurs when personal fancy gets in the way ofone’s ability to perceive what is obviously true.

Time and again, the characters in Emma come to realizethat their own fancies have clouded their ability to objec-tively judge a situation. Often they misinterpret the in-tentions of others, but in some situations even fail tounderstand their own feelings.

The Confinement of WomenIn the 1800s, a woman enjoyed very few liberties, regardless of her social class. In Emma’s case, thoughshe has no need to provide for herself or her family, thealternative—a life devoted to shallow social encounters—doesn’t seem particularly attractive. She has little usefor her intellect, and holds almost no power in life outsideof the ability to accept or reject a proposal of marriage.

Teachers: these answers may serve as the beginnings of an essay. Each student may select one of the above themesand write a short paper about its relevance in Emma. Alternately, students could be split into three groups, each groupworking together to research one of the themes and put together a presentation for the rest of the class.

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After the Play: Discussion QuestionsComparing the Novel to the PlayWhen you were reading the novel, what did you visualize (or picture) in your mind? How did the characters look?What did the setting look like?

Were any of your visualizations similar to what you saw onstage?

Did you see anything onstage that made you think of something you hadn’t considered while reading the story?

Was it helpful to see the story in this form? Why or why not?

Emma as a MusicalGiven what you now know about the time period, how did the different theatrical elements assist in telling the storyandcreating the period? Consider the costumes, the lighting, and the scenery.

Heightened Language in a MusicalIn musicals, such as the adaptation of Emma you saw at TheatreWorks, actors suddenly burst into song. This is a convention of musicals. Different conventions exist in all art forms. For example, in movies and television, charactersdon't really get from one place to another as quickly as they appear to, but we understand that the boring part oftheir journey has been cut. Conventions help the poetry of the work of art come to life. A song is often described as“poetry to music.” Characters in the live theatre live in a heightened state of reality or a heightened sense of life inwhich they experience emotions with great force. It is almost as if their passion, their pain, their happiness is so overwhelming, it can only be expressed through song.

What heightened moments were expressed through song in the musical Emma?

Could you tell how the characters were feeling (happy, sad, angry) by the way the actors delivered the song? Is this different or similar to songs you hear on the radio?

Why are we drawn to listening to stories through song?

Why Emma?Why did Paul Gordon choose to make Emmainto a musical?

Why do we still read the novel 200 years later? Sure, our English teachers make us read it because it is a“classic.” But why is it a classic? What does it say to us that is still relevant today? What are the universalthemes that we can still learn from today?

Student Matinees/STUDENT Feedback

Name____________________________________Grade_____________School_________________________________________

Performance Tasks based CA State theatre arts standards

Select and complete one of the following activities:

1. Rewrite the ending of the play. How would you like to see it end? Why?

2. Pick a moment in the play that affected you. Describe the stage elements that created that moment for you

(the script, acting, lighting, music, costumes, set design, sound design and/or direction).

3. Write a review of the play or an actor.

4. Describe something you would change in the production. Describe what benefit that change would create in

the production and why.

5. Identify and describe how this production might affect the values and behavior of the audience members who

have seen it.

6. Write about any careers you learned about in attending this production (example: stage hands, set designers,

actors, etc.).

Assessment Survey

No Maybe Yes Really Yes

I learned a lot from this experience 1 2 3 4

I would like to do this sort of project again 1 2 3 4

I will remember what I learned 1 2 3 4

STUDENT evaluation (cont)

Finish the following statements:

The most important thing I learned from this play was:

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Besides getting out of school, the best thing about attending this student matinee is:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Learning through the theatre is different from my regular class because:

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If I could change something about attending a student matinee, I would:

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I'm going to use what I learned, saw, or experienced by:

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Student Matinee/TEACHER Evaluation

Name_____________________________________________________________________School___________________________

Please rate your Student Matinee experience below:

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Planning

I received sufficient and timely information 1 2 3 4

from TheatreWorks before the matinee

TheatreWorks maintained communication with 1 2 3 4

me and/or involved administrators at my school

It was clear to me that the production and study 1 2 3 4

guide incorporated curriculum standards

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Matinee Workshops

Supported other curriculum areas/subjects 1 2 3 4

Targeted students' educational needs 1 2 3 4

Provided a grade-appropriate experience 1 2 3 4

Engaged students' interest and attention 1 2 3 4

I would like to learn how to lead more of these 1 2 3 4

kinds of activities on my own in the classroom

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Post-Matinee

Students were engaged in this experience 1 2 3 4

The experience was valuable to my students' 1 2 3 4

education

The "Performance Tasks" were useful in helping 1 2 3 4

my students understand their experience

I would be interested in bringing more drama 1 2 3 4

related activities into my classroom

TEACHER Evaluation (cont)

For your classrooms please list the strengths of watching a student matinee.

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In terms of your teaching, did this particular Student Matinee give you any arts integration ideas foryour curriculum?_________________________________________________________________________________________

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We are very interested in your feedback. What worked for you about this experience? _________________________________________________________________________________________

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What did not work for you?_________________________________________________________________________________________

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Additional Comments:

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TheatreWorks student matinees tend to fill up quickly. Tickets for the 2015/16 season are available now—please visit theatreworks.org for the most up-to-date information. Please keep us updated with your current contact information to receive show announcements and booking information. Also, let us know if you havefriends who would like to be added to our mailing lists!