PLAY GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT ATC 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY 2 SYNOPSIS 2 SONG LIST 3 MEET THE CHARACTERS 4 MEET THE CREATORS: PAUL GORDON AND JANE AUSTEN 5 INTERVIEW WITH PAUL GORDON 7 THE NOVEL IN THE MUSIC 9 POLLOCK’S TOY THEATRES 11 LITERARY CATEGORIZATION OF AUSTEN 12 LITERARY TIMELINE 13 THE AUSTEN INDUSTRY 14 AUSTEN IN POPULAR CULTURE 15 FEMINISM IN EMMA 16 THE EMMA DEDICATION 18 HISTORICAL CONTEXT 18 HISTORICAL TIMELINE 22 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES 23 Jane Austen’s Emma Play Guide written and compiled by Katherine Monberg, Literary Assistant, and R Elisabeth Burton, Artistic Intern Discussion questions and activities provided by April Jackson, Associate Education Manager, Amber Tibbitts and Bryanna Patrick, Education Associates Support for ATC’s education and community programming has been provided by: APS JPMorgan Chase The Marshall Foundation Arizona Commission on the Arts John and Helen Murphy Foundation The Maurice and Meta Gross Bank of America Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Foundation Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Boeing PICOR Charitable Foundation The Stocker Foundation City Of Glendale Rosemont Copper The William L and Ruth T Pendleton Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Stonewall Foundation Memorial Fund Cox Charities Target Tucson Medical Center Downtown Tucson Partnership The Boeing Company Tucson Pima Arts Council Enterprise Holdings Foundation The Donald Pitt Family Foundation Wells Fargo Ford Motor Company Fund The Johnson Family Foundation, Inc Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation The Lovell Foundation ABOUT ATC Arizona Theatre Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company This means all of our artists, administrators and production staff are paid professionals, and the income we receive from ticket sales and contributions goes right back into our budget to create our work, rather than to any particular person as a profit Each season, ATC employs hundreds of actors, directors and designers from all over the country to create the work you see on stage In addition, ATC currently employs about 100 staff members in our production shops and administrative offices in Tucson and Phoenix during our season Among these people are carpenters, painters, marketing professionals, fundraisers, stage directors, computer specialists, sound and light board operators, tailors, costume designers, box office agents, stage crew – the list is endless – The Temple of Music and Art, the home of ATC shows in downtown Tucson. representing an amazing range of talents and skills We are also supported by a Board of Trustees, a group of business and community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to assist the theatre in financial and legal matters, advise in marketing and fundraising, and help represent the theatre in our community Roughly 150,000 people attend our shows every year, and several thousands of those people support us with charitable contributions in addition to purchasing their tickets Businesses large and small, private foundations and the city and state governments also support our work financially All of this is in support of our vision and mission: Our vision is to touch lives through the power of theatre Our mission is to create professional theatre that continually strives to reach new levels of artistic excellence and that reso- nates locally, in the state of Arizona and throughout the nation In order to fulfill our mission, the theatre produces a broad reper- toire ranging from classics to new works, engages artists of the highest caliber, and is committed to assuring access to the broadest spectrum of citizens The Herberger Theater Center, ATC’s performance venue in downtown Phoenix. 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY Jane Austen’s Emma Book and Music by Paul Gordon Co-Directed by Stephen Wrentmore and David Ira Goldstein Jane Austen’s Emma, one of the most widely read novels by one of Actress Anneliese Actor Shannon Stoeke, Actor Richert Easley, Actor Colin Hanlon, van der Pol, who plays who plays Mr. Knightley who plays Mr. Woodhouse who plays Frank Churchill the most adored authors in British Emma in ATC’s production. in ATC’s production. in ATC’s production. in ATC’s production. literature, returns, this time to the musical stage The young, aristocratic Emma Woodhouse embarks on a project of matchmaking that leads her through a series of tragically comic misunderstandings, layered over with the decorum and expectations of Regency England society Armed with wit, intelligence, and sincerity, Emma maneuvers her way through the social politics of Highbury to find her future, her love, and herself Synopsis Emma Woodhouse, the “handsome, clever, and rich” heroine and title character of Jane Austen’s most critically regarded novel returns to literature nearly two centuries after her first incarnation Having recently witnessed the success of her matchmaking endeavors through the marriage of her governess, Miss Taylor, to Mr Weston, a good friend and neighbor, Emma takes it upon herself to set up her friend Harriet Smith, of unknown parentage but remarkably good character, with the new vicar, Mr Elton Blinded by her well-intentioned ambitions and supported by the universal assumption of her intelligence and impeccable character, Emma never questions her own convictions, despite kind warnings from her close family friend, Mr Knightley When it is unavoidably brought to Emma’s attention that Mr Elton’s affections are bestowed upon her and not Harriet Smith, Emma is outraged at his social grasping Mr Elton leaves Emma and the town of Highbury to seek a wife elsewhere, horrendously offended by Emma’s refusal Meanwhile, Emma continues her attempts to steer Harriet in positive social directions, politely dissuading her from a romance with the farmer, Robert Martin Miss Bates, a neighbor of the Woodhouses, welcomes her niece, Jane Fairfax, into the home she shares with her mother as a last foray into society and relaxation before Jane is forced to become a governess to support herself Jane, a young woman of great accomplishment, is vexing to Emma who is jealous of her talents, and irritated by Jane’s refusal to gossip Highbury society continues to be stirred up by the arrival of Frank Churchill, Mr Weston’s son through a previous marriage and raised by an aunt, who has come to visit his new stepmother on the occasion of his father’s remarriage Frank and Emma seem to hit it off, and a new romance is predicted by Highbury society To add to the town’s excitement, Jane Fairfax seems to have a secret admirer, who has sent her the gift of a pianoforte; public opinion suspects Mr Knightley Frank’s aunt falls ill and he is called home After much contemplation, Emma decides that she is less than thrilled by Frank’s clear affection for her Mr Elton returns to Highbury with his new wife, an intensely unlikeable social climber whom Emma finds extremely distasteful In her busybody ways, Mrs Elton asserts herself to “help” Jane find a position, and demands of Mr Knightley a group outing to his home, Donwell Abbey Emma plans an elegant ball, which all of Highbury society attends Mr Elton snubs Harriet publicly, much to her humiliation, and she is saved by a dancing invitation from Mr Knightley, an adamant non-dancer Emma and Knightley share a dance and Knightley quietly acknowledges his unspoken love for her, leaving Emma unaware Frank Churchill returns to Highbury and rescues Harriet from an unfortunate encounter with gypsies; Emma designs to match Frank and Harriet as her next project Harriet reveals to Emma that she has feelings for a man above her station and Emma encourages her, believing her to mean Frank Churchill The entirety of Highbury society attends a picnic at Box Hill, planned by Mrs Elton Emma and Frank behave badly, excluding others in their common cleverness Emma makes an unkind comment to Miss Bates, and Knightley chastises her for it which Emma takes to heart, repenting deeply Mrs Weston receives a letter from Frank Churchill, revealing his aunt’s death – and his secret engagement to Jane Fairfax! She breaks the news to Emma, who readily admits that her own feelings are not injured, though his deceit is quite shocking Emma dreads informing Harriet, who is genuinely surprised – the gentleman she expressed feelings for was not Frank Churchill, but Mr Knightley! Emma is entirely undone, realizing, too late, that she herself is in love with Mr Knightley Knightley comes to Emma as a friend, believing her to have been hurt by Frank Churchill; Emma assures him that her heart is intact and Knightley tentatively reveals his love for her Emma returns the sentiment joyously, Harriet becomes engaged to Robert Martin, and weddings and happiness ensue 2 SONG LIST ACT 1 I Design the World Emma I Made the Match Myself Emma and Knightley Hartfield Ensemble Gentleman’s Daughter Emma and Ensemble The Portrait Mr Elton and Knightley Actress Dani Marcus, who plays Harriet Smith Should We Ever Meet Emma in ATC’s production. The Argument Knightley and Emma Hartfield (1st Reprise) Ensemble Should We Ever Meet (Reprise) Emma and Ensemble Not in a Thousand Years Emma and Harriet Piece of Cake Mrs Bates, Jane Fairfax, Emma and Harriet Mr Robert Martin Harriet and Emma Home Frank Churchill and Emma Actress Jamison Lingle, The Recital Emma, Jane Fairfax, Knightley, Frank and Harriet who plays Jane Fairfax in ATC’s production. ACT 2 Pride and Sense Ensemble So This is How Love Feels Emma Mr Robert Martin (Reprise) Harriet and Robert Martin I’ll Make the Match Myself (Reprise) Mrs Weston and Emma The Conviction of My Indifference Emma Actress Jill Van Velzer, who plays Mrs. Elton / Humiliation Harriet Mrs. Bates in ATC’s production.