Karan and Alcott Discuss Christmas Theatre Plans and Austen's Genius

 

Alcott is incredibly fortunate to be as talented as she is and I am in awe of the passion for theatre that she has. Her dedication to historical research for the play's that are put on at our lovely UIW theatre is inspiring. The anticipation for our class viewing of this Decembers play is growing by the minute! Let us be whisked away into decking the halls at Pemberley with the Darcy and Bennet family. 

• How do you think Austen’s world of drawing rooms, dances, and letters speaks to ours today?                   Even though Austen’s world looks very different from ours, we all can find comfort in the similarities of love, family, and personal development. Her characters worry about how they come across, try to connect with people, and sometimes misunderstand each other. These are only a few examples but are all things we still experience today. I think of our own “drawing rooms” as similar to group chats and college events instead of ballrooms, but the human emotions and interactions are the same.

• What’s one scene from Austen that always makes you laugh or cry?                                                                                                                                           I definitely think its when Elizabeth reads Darcy’s letter. Once she realizes she might have been wrong. I think that always hits a little deeper. It’s such a quiet, honest moment of self reflection.

• If Jane Austen had a Substack, what do you think she’d write about?                                               Im complete honesty I had to look at what a Substack was. However I like to imagine Austen’s Substack as witty but comforting corner of the internet where she would likely share her thoughts and relationship advice. I think she would also have little sketches of everyday people, and gentle but sharp observations about our social habits. It’d be funny, thoughtful, and probably one of those newsletters everyone looks forward to opening.

• What kind of tea (or coffee!) best fits Austen’s tone?                                                                Austen’s tone feels a bit like a cozy cup of chamomile with just a hint of honey comforting and familiar, but with a little bit of sweetness. 

• If Pride and Prejudice were set at UIW, what would the Bennet sisters be studying?                           • Elizabeth – Probably English or maybe Philosophy. Something with depth of thought or observation.

  • Jane – Nursing or Nutrition. Something caring and steady.

  • Lydia – Communications or something that requires a lot of campus outreach and socializing.

  • Kitty – Psycology and the study about what makes people think.

  • Mary – Theology or Music something dedicated and a little serious in a sweet way.

  
  

• Which moment in the novel feels most real to you not as a reader, but as a human being?             For me, it’s the moment Elizabeth realizes she misjudged Darcy. There’s something so real about recognizing your own blind spots and feeling both humbled and changed by it. It’s quiet, vulnerable, and very human one of those moments we all experience in our own ways. I think it also is especially important that because she is the protagonist we see this from her POV.

As we draw closer to the cozy season, at least in me and Alcotts opinion, there is excitement in the air for not only the Christmas carols, and decorations, but its the season for all romantic comedies. This play being one that fuels that holiday nostalgia, and with Alcotts description of Austen's tone, there is much to look forward to my dear classmates.