Special Events
Angela Barlow
“Jane Austen & Character: An Actor’s View”
Ticketed event: $10
Thursday, October 28
Angela Barlow
British actress Angela Barlow will be performing at our “Curtain Raiser” on Thursday evening before the official start of the AGM. She will be talking on “Jane Austen & Character: An Actor’s View.”
Ms. Barlow has been working in theatre, television and radio for over 30 years. She has appeared in a variety of stage plays—classical, modern and experimental—with theatre companies all over the British Isles. In addition she has been seen on film and in numerous television dramas. For the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s move to Chawton, Ms. Barlow delivered a wonderful dramatised talk at Chawton House Library on “Jane Austen & Character” which vibrantly and successfully brought to life many individuals from the novels.
Regency Book & Cartoon Display
Multnomah County Library
Reception: Thursday, October 28
Exhibit open every day during AGM
Emma First Edition
At the grand old downtown Multnomah County Library in the Collin’s Gallery, we have planned something for all folk interested in the Regency Period. Janeites will thrill to a special rare period book display mounted by Paula Stepankowsky, Marian LaBeck and James Petts. On display will be first editions of Northanger Abbey, Emma, Persuasion, and Mansfield Park along with other “firsts” by Frances Burney. Ms. Stepankowsky states that this “may be the most ‘firsts’ displayed at any JASNA AGM in recent years.” Also in the display are five or six original Gilroy cartoons. All AGM attendees are invited to the exhibit at the library on Thursday October 28th from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm for a Reception honoring Ms. Stepankowsky, Ms. LaBeck, and Mr. Petts.
Team Tilney Explains It All
Friday, October 29, 10:00 to 11:00 am
Four very enthusiastic fans of Henry Tilney will present a lively panel discussion explaining why Henry is their favorite Austen hero. As Jan Brady might say, “It’s always Darcy! Darcy, Darcy, Darcy!” but almost never about Henry Tilney. In this panel, four dedicated fans—some might say fanatics—of Henry Tilney will explain why they think their hero is sometimes misunderstood by their fellow Janeites. And what’s up with that muslin thing, anyway?
Margaret Sullivan (Eastern PA Region) will moderate the panel. She is the Editrix of AustenBlog.com and the creator of Mollands.net, a resource and community website for fans of Jane Austen. Maggie is the author of The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World.
Kelley Brown (North Carolina Region) is a Human Resources Manager with Ingersoll Rand. She has spent the past five years researching the Gothic Literature of the day that inspired Austen’s first novel.
Heather Laurence (Puget sound Region) has a web site, Solitary Elegance that features image collections for all of Jane Austen’s novels and is a resource for all Northanger Abbey-related radio plays, stage plays, and screenplays. Heather lives in Seattle with two cats, two sons and one husband.
Lynn Marie Macy is a playwright, director, actor and adventure junkie who is now living in the New York tri-state area. She wrote a wonderful stage adaptation of Northanger Abbey that has been produced off-off-Broadway twice, in California, and published in an anthology called Playing With Canons by New York Theatre Experience.
Jeff Nigro
“Mystery Meets Muslin: Regency Gothic Dress in Art, Fashion and the Theater”
A Special Interest Slide/Lecture
Friday, October 29
Jeff Nigro
Flounces and lilac sarsenets. Coloured petticoats with braces over the white spencers and enormous bonnets. A new muslin gown. In Northanger Abbey we learn that “Dress is at all times a frivolous distinction, and excessive solicitude about it often destroys its own aim.” But how fun it is to be genuinely interested in Regency Gothic Dress.
Jeffrey Nigro is director of Adult Programs at the Art Institute of Chicago, a member of JASNA Greater Chicago Region, and a favorite speaker on art and culture.
“Man only can be aware of the insensibility of man towards a new gown.” Northanger Abbey in 1818. In 2010 our esteemed speaker proves the opposite!
The Monster Mash
The Gothic in Northanger Abbey
Saturday, October 30, 8:30 to 11:00 pm (During the Bal Masque)
Catherine: Ghostbuster
Perhaps your feelings about the Saturday night Bal Masque have been expressed in Emma: “It may be possible to do without dancing entirely.” For those who do not wish to attend the Ball, across the foyer will be The Monster Mash—three speakers about the Gothic in Northanger Abbey. The speakers will present consecutively in the same room so you will be able to hear one, two, or all three.
Liz McClurg is a graduate student at the University of Nebraska. Her topic is: “Jane Austen, Monsters, and Other Things that Go Bump in the Night.” She will explore what Jane Austen and her contemporaries may have actually thought or “known” about vampires and sea monsters as well as other monsters that were part of late 18th century folklore, fell out of favor, but are now back in vogue.
Elsie Holzwarth is a Chicago attorney. Her topic is: “American Gothic: Edgar Allan Poe in the Shadows of Northanger Abbey. She finds many parallels between Poe and Austen and will compare similar portions of Northanger Abbey and The Fall of the House of Usher, and explore similarities between Henry Tilney and Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin.
Amy Smith is an associate professor of English at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. Her topic is: “Catherine Morland, Vampire Hunter.“ All right, Catherine wasn’t really a vampire hunter, but Amanda Grange’s Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is dedicated to her and Ms Smith believes Catherine would have loved it. What can all this vampire activity mean? Is it mere pandering to the commercial success of Twilight series, or does it somehow allow us to see Austen’s work in an informative new light?
Panel Discussion at Sunday Brunch
“Dispute without Mayhem”
Sunday, October 31
“Dispute Without Mayhem” will be a Panel Discussion on Northanger Abbey with William Phillips, Diana Birchall, Edith Lank, and Joan Ray. No mayhem we hope, but plenty of sparks no doubt…
 Joan Ray |
 Diana Birchall |
 William Phillips |
 Edith Lank |