Jane’s Tea and Biscuit Birthday Celebration
Saturday, December 14 @ 12:00-1:30 pm (PT)
Fellowship Hall at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. 1295 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto (across from Lucie Stern Theatre)
Please join us for JASNA NorCal’s first in-person gathering since COVID in celebration of Jane Austen’s birthday. This is a great opportunity to reacquaint yourself with our regional officers as well as fellow JASNA members while enjoying tea and light snacks with us. Officers will present a 2024 year-in-review and 2025 upcoming events for the 250th anniversary of sweet Jane’s birthday.
Seating is limited and priority will be given for those who have purchased a ticket to “Christmas at Pemberley” (see below). Register today!
“Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley”
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Saturday, December 14 @ 2:00 pm (PT)
Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
Jane Austen is here for the holidays! This charming seasonal comedy is a romantic sequel to Pride and Prejudice, told with Regency respect but a modern sense and sensibility. As the beloved Bennet sisters gather for carols and confections at the Darcy’s Pemberley estate, perennially passed-over sister Mary retreats into her books and fantasies. Will an unexpected guest lead her in an enticing new direction? It’s Christmas after all.
The first public reading of this play was at JASNA NorCal’s Jane Austen Birthday Gala in December 2015. It was brilliantly performed by TheatreWorks under the direction of its founder, Robert Kelley.
As a special offer to JASNA NorCal members, TheatreWorks is offering 20% off tickets! Call (877) 662-8978, mention that you are with JASNA NorCal and would like to purchase with the offered discount. Buy before the December 7th cut-off!
Please note that for this performance, masks are required.
Director Jeffrey Lo will conduct a Q&A for JASNA NorCal members directly following the play.
JASNA NorCal Reading Group
Tuesday, January 14, 6:30–8:00 pm (PT) on Zoom
Join us for a lively discussion of The Tour of Doctor Syntax in Search of the Picturesque, the Regency-era comic poem that captivated readers–Jane Austen included! This satirical work follows a hapless curate, Dr. Syntax, as he embarks on a chaotic journey through England in hopes of making his fortune as a travel writer. Alongside his loyal horse, Grizzle, Syntax finds himself in a series of amusing mishaps, offering readers a humorous and insightful glimpse into early 19th-century life and trends. JASNA NorCal’s own Ben Wiebracht and his students have prepared this new, richly annotated edition specifically with Austen fans in mind, highlighting connections between the poem and Austen’s world.
While Ben will attend and answer our questions, this will be a regular meeting of our reading group–a free-flowing, participatory format. To hear Ben speak as he did at the AGM on his book (see below), please look out for notices about his presentation for our region early next year.
There are a few ways to find the book:
Buy local!
Paperback, Jane Austen Books ($20.00 + $5.50 shipping/handling): https://www.janeaustenbooks.net/products/17815
Paperback, Amazon ($25.00): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737033054
Etext (free): https://pixeliapublishing.org/doctor-syntax/