Audiences can see “Jane Austen” on the stage of Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre in “Cheer from Chawton: A Jane Austen Family Theatrical.” It will be performed Feb. 23 by Karen Eterovich, who also researched and wrote the play. Dr. Dawn Duncan, a professor of English, says Eterovich brings a rare combination of stage presence along with research skills of a historian and tremendous writing.
“I love her humor and passion, her energy, which come across on the stage and in her master classes,” Duncan says. “She clearly loves connecting with others, and this makes her a terrific teacher and a riveting performer. I will never forget her passionate portrayal of Aphra Behn, and I look forward to her more light-hearted but equally captivating performance as Jane Austen.”
Austen’s work has stood the test of time. Most readers have heard of “Pride and Prejudice,” “Sense and Sensibility” and “Emma.” Dr. Amy Watkin, an associate professor and chair of English, has taught classes on Austen and believes while people like love stories, their enjoyment of Austen’s work goes deeper than that.
“Her characters are endearing but flawed in ways that we still relate to,” Watkin says. “She makes fun of elements in society that we still recognize in the world around us, even if we don’t study the historical context of her time. I also think she’s stood the test of time because she writes strong women. They are quite modern, which might be why the books are still readable in the 21st century.”
Watkin noted that Austen’s heroines don’t marry for superficial reasons such as money or looks. “They hold out for love,” which at the time was quite reckless since few women had means to support themselves.
Austen also had opinions and comments about the larger society as she was busy writing about a small piece of life in a very specific place, Watkins says.
“She’s subtle, so if you want to you can read her books never realizing her political or social agendas,” Watkin says. “But you’ll never convince me that she wasn’t a feminist, and quite a modern one at that.”
And audiences can enjoy these nuances of Jane Austen through this solo performance by Eterovich.
In celebration of Concordia’s 125th anniversary, the event is free as a gift from the college.
(9702/aek)