YOUR COMICAL COUSIN, JANE

Greetings, and welcome to my Jane Austen play site! My name is Joan McGovern Tendler, and I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am a fan of all of Jane's works, and I have written a play that showcases her early satirical essays and skits, which Jane wrote when she was a young teenager.

 

Readers may be familiar with Jane's light-hearted History of England, written "by a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian". In this "history", Jane pokes fun at the highly opinionated historical writings of her day. A good example is Jane's summary of the reign of King Henry the 6th: 

 

"I CANNOT say much for this Monarch's Sense -- Nor would I if I could, for he was a Lancastrian. I suppose you know all about the Wars between him and & The Duke of York, who was of the right side; If you do not, you had better read some other History, for I shall not be very diffuse in this, meaning by it only to vent my Spleen against, & shew my hatred to all those people whose parties or principles do not suit with mine, and not to give information. There were several Battles between the Yorkists & Lancastrians, in which the former (as they ought) usually conquered."

 

Jane also wrote a full length play called "Love and Freindship", which is a parody of the overly emotional sensibility novels that she so loved to criticize. "Love and Freindship" closes with these words of sensibility wisdom:

 

"My beloved Laura, take warning from my unhappy End, and avoid the imprudent conduct which had occasioned it... Beware of fainting-fits... Though at the time they may be refreshing and agreeable, yet believe me they will in the end, if too often repeated and at improper seasons, prove destructive to your constitution... One fatal swoon has cost me my Life... Beware of swoons, dear Laura... A frenzy-fit is not one quarter so pernicious; it is an exercise to the Body and if not too violent, is I dare say conducive to Health in its consequences -- Run mad as often as you chuse; but do not faint --"

 

In addition to these two works is a wealth of silly skits and essays. These writings are full of slap-stick comedy, verging at times on the inane humor of Monty Python's. For example: "Bless me! There ought to be eight chairs and there are but six. However, if your Ladyship will but take Sir Arthur in your lap, and Sophy my brother in hers, I believe we shall do pretty well". These essays and skits reveal a comical side of Jane that is at times only vaguely discernible, yet always present, in her later novels.

 

In the play, Jane is nearly twenty years old. She plans to be a successful writer and is trying hard to leave her satirical bent behind her. In the play, Jane and her family and friends act out excerpts from these works at Christmas gatherings. On Jane's part, this is an effort to "close the book" on this chapter of her life, for she hopes to become a very serious writer, leaving all satire behind. Her family and friends, along with the excitement of an "illegible" visitor, help Jane come to grips with her farcical, wry look on life, "united with" her desire to be a serious writer, and help shape the strong sense of irony and the "ready wit"  that makes Jane's writings so unique and powerful.

 

I have posted the entire play on this website in order to receive critiques and suggestions on how to improve it for performance. Please send all comments to the email below.

 

I hope you enjoy the play, and I look forward to your critiques!

 

E-Mail: tendler5@sbcglobal.net