TWU Theatre to present Jane Austen's Emma

Feb. 13, 2025 — DENTON — Great literature shares a common trait: it expresses truths about human experience that resonate far beyond the story's setting. Which is probably why Jane Austen's novels possess such incredible staying power.

In her 41-year life, she completed six novels, four published anonymously because writing was regarded as a degrading activity for women and two published posthumously. Those works spawned dozens of movies, television shows and plays in the 90 years since her books were first adapted for screen and stage. More than 200 years since her death, Austen continues to speak to readers and audiences.

Now, a cast that could scarcely be more socially or culturally removed from Austen's English Regency world will bring one of her most popular works to Redbud Theater Feb. 19-23 with Jane Austen's Emma.

The play is an adaptation of Austen's novel about Emma Woodhouse, a young woman who meddles in the lives of her friends. Written by Doon MacKichan and Martin Millar, it debuted in 1999.

"It's very true to the character of Emma and to the story that everybody has grown to love," said director Patrick Bynane, PhD. "But MacKichan and Miller are trying to remind us that the same things Emma goes through in 1815 are things that young people are still going through today. Rather than turning it into a gauzy, romantic adaptation, it's much more about Emma learning that you can't control other people. You can't play with people's emotions. If you're going to be a successful adult, you have to have a moment of realization. They've made a really wonderful adaptation that puts the focus on Emma's journey of maturing."

"She's got a lot to learn, and she really does mean well," said Heather Sims, who plays Emma. "She doesn't always make good decisions, and she learns how to be a good friend and how to be a good person. It's lovely to see her grow throughout the show. I'm enjoying playing around with that and her growth and her maturity."

While the costumes and language are Regency, the play contains updated elements, including modern music and bits of modern clothing like Doc Martens shoes.

"I think one of the reasons why our 2025 references work the way their 1999 references worked is to remind us that teenage girls, young women, have experienced this maturing process well before Jane Austen was writing about it, and it's still going on today," Bynane said.

"There are a lot of anachronisms," Sims said. "It sort of blends what was when Emma was written and what is now. Usually when you're doing Regency and Victorian plays, it's very prim and proper and you really must be very reserved, but because of the nature and the style of the play and the comedy of it, there's more room to play."

In addition to its modern touches, the play has one significant change from the novel: Jane Austen is a character. In a play within the play, Austen interacts with her nieces.

"It announces itself as an irreverent adaptation right from the beginning," Bynane said, "when the nieces sneak into the attic where Jane has been writing and has fallen asleep and a song comes through the sound system, the nieces all start singing along. Its Meshell Ndegeocello's early 90s hip hop hit If That's Your Boyfriend, (He Wasn't Last Night). The girls get into a raucous dance, and that song comes back a few times."

Adia Best, who had the title role in last year's production of Eurydice plays Austen. But she also plays Mr. Knightley, who evolves from Emma's mentor to love interest. In fact, six of the eight actors in the play portray multiple characters.

That can be its own challenge when so many characters in Austen novels have such similar mannerisms and speech patterns.

"It's kind of hard for me to differentiate between Jane Austen and Mr. Knightley because they have very similar approaches with Emma and the nieces," Best said. "It's not as much of a chasm between the two characters as I'd like there to be."

"It's an amazingly big challenge," Bynane said. "We can throw on or take off a costume piece, but if we're not finding a different voice, a different body, a different energy, the costume piece is simply a bookmark there to help the audience. We've got to bring all the rest of the story behind that."

It also requires some actors to be on stage throughout the play. The four nieces are on stage in the scenes with Jane Austen and have critical roles interacting with Emma. Jocelyn Losak plays a niece and Jane Fairfax, a close acquaintance and rival of Emma.

"It's probably one of the harder shows I've had, because as the nieces we're on stage the whole show," Losak said. "So as I'm memorizing my lines, I'm also memorizing my blocking. Every few lines, we're speaking but we're also moving a set piece somewhere because the scene is immediately changing into a completely different setting. So there's fun and difficulty in that. But since it's so challenging, I'm kind of interested to see how it turns out because I know it'll be visually interesting.

Being on stage throughout allows no respite for actors who have to remain in character for the duration of the play, even when they're just in the background.

"As a niece, you are kind of sometimes sitting back and watching, and it's hard to not take those moments as time to rest," Losak said. "You have to still be physically there, understanding what's going on and reacting. If we're acting in a way that's confusing to the audience, they're taken out of the show. So there's a lot of pressure, even in the moments when we're in the back. You don't know who's looking at you."

"Jane Fairfax is incredibly reserved," Bynane said. "When Jocelyn switches from Jane to the niece, it's wonderful to see the shift in body and energy from very reserved, somewhat uptight Jane Fairfax to a niece who just wants to know what's going to happen next."

It's a role nicely suited to Losak.

"I always have a lot of energy," she said. "That's what I love about theater. I'm also a dance minor. I love to just be active. I love moving around. That's why I love this show."

Jane Austen's Emma

Cast:
Jane Austen/Mr. Knightley – Adia Best
Emma Woodhouse – Heather Sims
Niece 1/Miss Bates – Emma Dockum
Niece 2/Jane Fairfax – Jocelyn Losak
Niece 3/Mrs. Weston – EJ Richard
Niece 4/Harriet Smith – Ella McHugh
Frank Churchill – Gabriel Hawthorne
Mr. Elton/Mr. Woodhouse/Mrs. Cole/Etc. – Dinvela Adams

Performances

Wednesday, Feb. 19-Friday, Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m.

Tickets

$5 for students and seniors, $10 for general admission.

Tickets online or for more information visit www.twu.edu/theatre or call the TWU Theatre Box Office at (940) 898-2020.