EMMA | Pianoforte and the Musical Household

This study guide was created through a partnership between Roadsted Montessori Middle and High School and Virginia Stage Company. The students read the novel Emma and conducted research on Jane Austen as well as the Regency time period. With guidance from Virginia Stage Company, they wrote articles on a variety of topics centered around the novel and the time period to provide context for Virginia Stage Company's production of Emma.

How Music Influences Jane Austen
Lenorah Hunt, 11th grade

Jane Austen makes it clear that music was a big deal in her life as well as in her novels. She studied with an organist, but eventually sold the instrument due to having to move. However, she managed to get a new one for thirty guineas, which was a significant amount, but she thought it a necessity. She always began her day by practising with the compositions of Pleyel, Dibdin, Piccini, and others, while her sister listened. 

The central female characters in Emma, for example, invariably play the pianoforte. Some are near masters, like Jane Fairfax, while others, like Emma herself, play well enough to draw compliments as well as recognition of their refined femininity, which is a mark of high social status. Jane Fairfax plays an Irish folk tune called “Robin Adair.” Songs in languages such as French, Italian, Irish, etc, were a way for women to seem innocent as well as refined, and hence, appealing for marriage. Musical performance was a great way to see a woman’s talents and education. 

The pianoforte had become very popular by the early 19th century thanks to the  important keyboard innovations of the Italian inventor Bartelemeo Cristofori in the 18th century.  Rather than plucking strings (as had been done before), in Cristofori’s keyboard, felted hammers struck strings. This gave performers greater possibilities to play loud or soft, depending on the needs of a social gathering. In Jane Austen’s England, the pianoforte was the center point of social gatherings and hence the predominant musical instrument in English homes of some means. Music, then, was what brought people together for a variety of occasions.

Music and the Pianoforte in Emma
Garrett Martin, Grade 10

The mastermind behind Emma and other popular books, Jane Austen, has recently been revealed in a short biographical notice of her death. One of her more recent works, Emma, has a focus on music, as Austen shows the general mood and thoughts of Emma through music. This was based upon her own personal interests. Our research into her life shows that she avidly enjoyed music. Owning a pianoforte despite her status as a single woman, she is reported to have collected and played many written forms of music. Originating in the 1760s, the pianoforte is usually played with 4 hands. Commonly being played by women, it allows them a means to express their elegant femininity while bonding with potential suitors or friends. It shows their marriage value and is a representation of their education and status. While renting one is available even for a single woman like Austen, ownership of such an instrument is not for the low status. She passed the time with music when she wasn’t writing her next hit. It should be noted that this wasn’t an occasional hobby. Ms. Austen practiced her music every day before preparing breakfast with the consistency of a metronome. Sadly, as she passed away recently on the 18th of July in 1817, we will never get to see where her fascination with music would have taken her.

Role of Music in Austen’s World
Devin Stiffler, 10th grade

Music in the early eighteenth century was a way to entertain, pass the time, and a way to express oneself. In most homes, the common meeting place was at the piano. Typically four-handed, it acted as a great excuse to have a young man and woman sit together and play. Playing a musical instrument or singing was a way for young women to show off their education and refinement, but also their genuine interest in music. The availability of pianos to rent as well as the boom in the printing of music sheets made the study of music fairly accessible. On the other hand, musical instruments were generally expensive and so owning an instrument was a mark of high social status or aspirations to such. Jane Austen loved music and playing the piano. Throughout her life, she either owned or rented a pianoforte for her own use. Even with the hefty price tag, she didn’t let her financial struggles get in the way. And, after the passing of her father, her brother provided financial support. In Emma, Austen often uses music to hint at or introduce romantic attachments, disclose tensions between characters or set the general mood of a scene.

The Pianoforte
Mason Savage, 10th grade

The pianoforte was a hallmark instrument of Georgian England. It was the domestic instrument of choice, encouraging the large-scale manufacture and rental of pianos and the harpsichord. The pianoforte originated in the 1760s, and it had many variations over time. The pianoforte was split into two variants: the ‘square’ pianoforte and the grand pianoforte. Both were considered luxury items, which meant that most people rented them out rather than directly buying them. As secondhand and rented keyboard instruments became common, so did women's involvement with the instrument. Being able to play it well was an attractive trait for courtship.

EMMA | The History of Regency England

This study guide was created through a partnership between Roadsted Montessori Middle and High School and Virginia Stage Company. The students read the novel Emma and conducted research on Jane Austen as well as the Regency time period. With guidance from Virginia Stage Company, they wrote articles on a variety of topics centered around the novel and the time period to provide context for Virginia Stage Company's production of Emma.

Napoleonic Influences and Tensions in Jane Austen’s Writings
Garrett Martin, 10th grade and Cyprus Garrenton-Wagner, 11th grade

Napoleon Bonaparte has been found dead on the island of St. Helena. Leader of the Napoleonic Empire, he entered military life as a brigadier general who served in the French Revolution. He started his dictatorship as the consul of France, but later promoted himself to Emperor of the French Empire. Challenging Britain’s unshakeable hold on Europe, he forced the British, Russians, Prussians, and the Austrians to form the Quadruple Alliance. He was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and exiled to Elba in 1815. After an escape and brief return to power, he was exiled to St. Helena, where we now report his passing. His dictatorship has shaken Europe. His Berlin and Milan Decrees of 1806 and 1807 prevented French allies and neutral parties from trading with Britain. The British army now remains active throughout her empire, and the feeling of unease is yet to pass. The Congress of Vienna is attempting to undo the damage Bonaparte has inflicted upon Europe. Monarchs are being appointed to replace foolishly established republics. However, these are still tumultuous times. Republics are trying to make themselves permanent, as we see in the United States. Britain is still recovering from her bitter battles with the French, and the Congress of Vienna is attempting to stitch together a fractured continent. Who knows what the future holds for these restless times?

Taxes On Knowledge 
Lily Rhinelander, 12th grade 

Since 1712, when this tax was first imposed, there has been an assault on our knowledge. It originally consisted of stamp duty on newspapers, but has since evolved into something more sinister. Wars are ongoing abroad, we must stay informed. Many newspapers that are sent out more frequently are unable to pay these taxes and are going out of business. It is of utmost importance that we get the news as quickly as possible so we can stay informed. In 1797 and 1815, when the tax was raised to 4d per sheet, it also limited how much could be published. Authors nowadays must weigh what details to include on a topic and what to leave out. This is the path to ignorance! Newspapers that sell for less than 6d are going out of business. Due to this, we now have to spend more for information that comes out less frequently. Is knowledge the privilege of the wealthy few? Make no mistake, we will not go without a fight! We will protest and express our disdain for this! We will utilize alternative forms of communication to convey our message! We will not be held back by the taxes imposed on us by the government! We will persevere through this challenging time! 

Epilogue: After fighting for quite some time to get this tax changed, in 1853, the government of Lord Palmerston released stamp duty and established ‘free trade’. 

Who are the Members of the Royal Family? 
Charly Dalrymple, 12th grade

Breaking news: Prince Regent George IV, crowned king 

With King George III’s mental state steadily declining following the death of his daughter Princess Amelia, Prince Regent George IV, his eldest son, is declared King this 29th of January, 1820. King George IV now rules with his estranged wife, his cousin Queen Caroline. They met and married in the spring of 1795, and reportedly hated each other on sight. Our sources also tell us the famous author Jane Austen reluctantly dedicated her novel Emma to the Prince Regent George, despite her own personal gripes with him, after much persuasion from an acquaintance of hers, Rev. James Stanier Clarke. The Prince Regent never acknowledged this acknowledgement, and Austin never acknowledged this lack of acknowledgement. 

The End of the War of 1812
Mario Levasseur, 11th grade

By the early 1800s Britain’s global commitments had started straining its army and economy. Still recovering from the loss of its American colonies, Britain had to contend with the fact that the United States was becoming a formidable trade rival. The US was not only rich in natural resources but the cost of manufacturing and shipping American goods was lower than in Britain. In short, relations between the former colonial master and the young independent country were rapidly deteriorating. Meanwhile, tensions were also rising between the indigenous nations in America and British-owned Canada. If that were not enough for Britain, its armies were fighting Napoleon in Europe. Britain was more concerned with fighting Napoleon and tried to avoid another war with the United States. That was not to be, and by 1812 the British army was overextended, its resources spread thin as it had to support fighting both in Europe and in America. 

The 1812 war ended without a decisive winner with the Treaty of Ghent, though Britain lost its influence among Native Americans. Retaining Canada did not help much with diminishing the growing trading power of the US. At home, the British faced economic hardships both due to decades of warfare as well as due to the rapid changes that the Industrial Revolution was bringing to the traditional agricultural economy. When Jane Austen writes in Emma that the two Knightley brothers talked about the affairs of the Donwell Abbey when they saw each other, she was hinting at the worries of both the English gentry as well as farmers during Britain’s industrialization.

EMMA | Social Status and Making Your Mark

This study guide was created through a partnership between Roadsted Montessori Middle and High School and Virginia Stage Company. The students read the novel Emma and conducted research on Jane Austen as well as the Regency time period. With guidance from Virginia Stage Company, they wrote articles on a variety of topics centered around the novel and the time period to provide context for Virginia Stage Company's production of Emma.

Etiquette and Manners
Mason Savage, 10th grade

Speech alone is a very precarious subject. There are topics that are essentially banned from public conversation. Generally accepted “good social skills” are a handful of honorable traits: you have to be comfortable in whatever situation that arises, even if it means blatant dishonesty or withholding truth. 

In public, more rules need to be followed. Unmarried men and women cannot be alone together without a chaperone, acting as both referee and witness to their interaction. If an unmarried woman flirts excessively or engages in private conversation with a man, it is seen as a sign of attachment, or strong desire to be engaged. In conversations, use of first names is reserved for family members or close same-sex friends of the same social status. In all other cases honorifics – Mr, Mrs, Miss, Lord – are the proper way to address a person. Failing to observe this etiquette is not only considered disrespectful but also crude, a lack of refinement associated with lower class. When Mrs. Elton, blurts out “Knightley,” rather than “Mr. Knightley,” she embarrasses everyone in the conversation. 

Fun events, like balls, are as bound by the rules of etiquette as daily interactions. At a ball, two people can not be engaged in conversation if they have not been formally introduced to one another. And a man is not allowed to have more than two dances with the same woman, unless they are engaged. So when Frank Churchill secures Emma for the first two dances at the Crown Inn ball, he sends a clear marriage signal her way. This, by the way, was a ruse designed to cover up his secret engagement to Jane Fairfax, a woman whose class is decidedly below his. Why this deception? Mr. Churchill is in danger of provoking his aunt’s wrath and thus losing his inheritance.  

Wealth and Finance
Lenorah Hunt, grade 11

Here in England, women and men having money to inherit is very important! Especially these days… If you have nothing to inherit, or maybe not much, it’s very likely you’ll have to marry! And marrying is key to social mobility, either remaining in your class or going up in class. Look at Mr. Frank Churchill! He is in love with the poor, orphaned Jane Fairfax and wants to marry her. But, oh no, his aunt won’t allow it! She wants him to marry the daughter of a gentleman. If he opposes her will, she will disinherit him!  

Well, if you’re born into money, you don’t have to worry about marriage that much. Take Ms. Emma Woodhouse, for example! She will inherit her father’s estate. As she tells her less lucky friend, Harriet Smith, “I have none of the usual inducements of women to marry….. a single woman, of good fortune, is always respectable.” That is, she won’t fall to the condition of Miss Bates, an old, single woman, who counts her pennies and relies on the benevolence of wealthy women like Emma herself. Not having to worry about marrying, Emma is free to do what gives her great pleasure: play a matchmaker to her naive sidekick, Harriet Smith, the poor boarder at Mrs. Goddard’s school.

Ballroom Dancing in Emma
Devin Stiffler, 10th grade and Cyprus Garrenton-Wagner, 11th grade

Mr. Elton, the vicar of Highbury, refused to dance with Harriet Smith at the Crown Inn ball. Harriet, a young and sweet girl with unknown parents, had no dancing partner. Mr Elton was asked by an acquaintance to dance with her, but he declined, citing his recent engagement. The truth of the matter was that he didn’t want to dance with Harriet because she was lower in class than him. And what would people think of him? Stooping down to dance with a poor border from Mrs. Goddard’s school! Is he that desperate? Dancing only with those whose social status you share demonstrates and affirms your position in society. Only men have the power to ask women to dance, but women have the power to decline. 

The ability to dance is a great trait for men and women alike to have. It is a way to pass the time and meet people, regardless of class. Dances can be held at the large houses of the gentry. But they can also be held at places like the village inn. For men, asking a woman to dance is a way to express romantic feelings. It is safe to stay with the same person for two dances, but if you stay with the same partner for more than that, it serves as an announcement for serious intentions, i.e. marriage. 

Publishing History
Lenorah Hunt, 11th grade

Publishing a book here in England has always been difficult for women to do. And Jane Austen herself isn’t wealthy, so the expenses were quite difficult for her! She took it upon herself to find a publisher for Emma and do the financial arrangements herself. She had to do it alone, because her brother was ill and could not negotiate for her as he usually did. Ms. Austen chose the prestigious publisher John Murray. 

Things did not go smoothly, however. To publish Emma, Mr. Murray offered Ms. Austen 450 pounds for the copyright of Emma and two of her previously published novels (Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility). She was not happy! One could publish a novel by selling the copyright or on commission. Ms. Austen had made good money from publishing on commission so she refused to sell her copyrights.

In late autumn of 1815 Mr. Murray agreed to publish Emma on commission, deciding on a larger edition, even though paper was very expensive, and 2,000 copies. A copy costs one guinea, which is about $100! But unfortunately for Ms. Austen, only about two-thirds of this edition sold. The price of the remaining copies was significantly reduced.

The following year, 1816, Emma made it to America, where it was printed by the Philadelphia publisher Mathew Carey. Ms. Austen’s novels were published in other countries as well, sometimes with her knowledge, other times, without it. But she made no profit from all of this because there was no international copyright law!

Emma Synopsis

Meet Emma Woodhouse: young, clever, rich... and just a little too sure she knows what’s best for everyone else. With her governess happily married (thanks, she’s certain, to her own matchmaking skills), Emma decides her next project will be finding love for her new friend, Harriet Smith. What could possibly go wrong?

Plenty, as it turns out. Despite warnings from her friend and neighbor, Mr. Knightley, Emma dives headfirst into everyone’s romantic business. Soon, her plans for Harriet and the local rector, Mr. Elton, take a disastrous turn. And just when things couldn’t get more complicated, two intriguing newcomers arrive in Highbury: the effortlessly perfect Jane Fairfax and the charming, flirtatious Frank Churchill.

Between misunderstandings, secret crushes, and more than a few bruised egos, Emma starts to realize that love... real love... can’t be plotted out like a game of chess. Sometimes it takes a few mistakes (and one very patient friend) to see what’s been in front of you all along.

In this fresh, funny adaptation by Kate Hamill, Jane Austen’s timeless story gets a clever, contemporary twist. Expect quick wit, bold characters, a dash of chaos, and plenty of heart. Emma may wear a Regency gown, but she has a thoroughly modern spirit. And a knack for learning her lessons the hard way.

So sit back and enjoy the matchmaking mischief, the tangled love stories, and the sparkling humor that make Emma one of literature’s most irresistible heroines.

Staff Spotlight: Bethany Mayo, Education Director

Bethany Mayo and Patrick Mullins discuss rehearsals or VSC’s Newest Education Tour ‘Greenbeats!’

Last week, Virginia Stage Company had the privilege of welcoming a new team member to its organization in the form of new Education Director Bethany Mayo (she/hers). Bethany is an electric personality, with an ecstatic sense of excitement at the opportunity to bring theatre integrated education to the local student communities of Hampton Roads through Virginia Stage Company’s programming. Before joining us, she was the Director of Education for the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory. From her work as an actor and artist, she began to develop a love for teaching theatre (and literature) through performance and classes with her students. While Shakespeare has been her recent main profession, her Master’s and thesis focus on integrated theatre into all forms of education and engaging students in History, English, Math, and in ways that move their body, engage their creative storytelling, and help them grow a passion for learning.

We are thrilled to share her infectious energy with you all, so we recently sat down with Bethany to learn a little bit more about her.

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Marketing Associate: How would you describe your profession to someone who might not be familiar with it?

Bethany Mayo: So…how I’ve described it in the past I “I make educational programing, for use in school or at the theatre, for K-12 students” so they can either use theatre to learn something or get more acquainted with other lessons. I’m excited to bring this experience to VSC, my previous experience was directly tied to Shakespeare and theatre education. We talked about language, rhetoric, or English classes…but here I’m more open to do everything! Which I think means more students can take advantage of the benefits of arts integrated learning. Connecting those things back to what students are learning in their classroom, or social skills, how to work in a group…all those skills you need to learn moving forward. It’s

MA: Can you tell me a little about your background?

B: I started a bank teller, believe it or not! My husband and I moved to Baltimore, and once there I finally found a theatre where I felt like I could find my full-time career as an artist. I auditioned, and found that there was a position available as a teaching artist. I took the job, hoping to lead to an opportunity there, but on my first job teaching students in an English class learning Romeo & Juliet I fell in love with the process and seeing what students learned from it. I continued as a teaching artist for 5 years, remaining with a focus on Shakespeare, and learning my voice and style as a theatre educator…I found an opportunity to be a Director of Education at another theatre and thought what’s the worst that could happen?

So I took a chance, applied, got it…found out I wasn’t half bad at it! And so I started to grow. While in the position, I started to wonder “!hat if we did this with other classes? How do we help theatre integrated teaching assist with teaching other courses like history where the content is so dense?” This was what started me on my Master’s Program…so I worked in my first Director of Education job at a theatre while beginning work on my Masters. 

Coming from my research, articles and news going all the way back to 1920 classroom professionals keep talking about how the next big thing will be ‘integrating theatre into classroom lesson plans for all topics’ but then here we are today…and it’s still going to be the next big thing. Imagine, What if you learned historical eras from what the most popular dance were? Kinesthetic learners can get engaged physically and hold onto new things learned if we expand their educational experience to include performance, movement, language in these new ways.
 
MA: How did you come to arrive at your position here at Virginia Stage Company?

B: I moved here with my husband, who’s in the military, and I looked at all the theatres I could back in December of 2020 but no one was hiring. But about 6 weeks ago, in the middle of the night, I had a sudden urge to go “I wonder if that theatre I liked was hiring?” I opened up my computer and saw the Director of Education position was available so I applied. It was like a voice from the universe!

MA: What impact do you hope to have with your time here?

B: What I want to do is…the way VSC’s current Education Program is built is made to operate externally and meet people where they are. What I feel is missing is how our program draws people in, so what I hope to do while I’m here is build the kind of Educational Programming that can bring people here. Combining arts integration skills to figure out where in the local school systems we can be of use, I’m a huge fan of arts in schools. It’s a wonderful tool that helps art meet those students in places and in opportunities where they might not normally get exposed to the theatre for a long time.

Rooting our external programs in a way that engages with the curriculum, but leaves bread crumbs to what we do with our shows back at the theatre and brings those students here. In the version where this doesn’t suck and I don’t get fired, of course!

MA: Before working at Virginia Stage, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?

B: Two come to mind, the first one is a specific assignment I had on one of the jobs. I was a Standardized Patient in Baltimore and we were working with medical students at the end of their unit on labor and delivery. I had a backpack with a hollow belly where we had a water-filled infant doll inside the hollow case. It was supposed to teach the doctor’s in training about how to build repour and comfort quickly with patients in a time-sensitive situation. I had one student catch and piledrive the doll into my chest, and I cannot forget that experience.

I also used to work for a murder mystery company that would go to locations, restaurants etc., performing live murder mystery theatre experiences. But sometimes you’d be invited to personal homes and be in these spaces for 3 -4 hours that you’d never been before and with people you’d never interacted with before. So our audience member interactions were always a stab in the dark…but it was a lot of fun too!

MA: What places have you lived before here?

B: I have lived in Des Moines, Iowa; Cavalier, North Dakota; Kansas City, Missouri; Fulton, Missouri; Pensacola, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; and now HERE!

MA: When you started with Virginia Stage, what show or project were you most excited for?

B: When I looked through the season, in the early days before I applied, I saw that VSC tackled Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility. Both shows I loved, and with full casts that were made up of local and professional actors alike. A concerted effort to concentrate on hiring and presenting local talent alongside out of town talent to shape a full show that showcases the brilliant work of local artists.

MA: What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

B: Another house, real estate market y’all…that’s all I can say.