Download enrichment guide - Citadel Theatre

ENRICHMENT GUIDE
Adapted by Tom Wood
Based on the Novel by Jane Austen
Directed by Bob Baker
Play Guides sponsored by
SENSE & SENSIBILITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
3
WHO’S INVOLVED
4
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
6
ADAPTATIONS
7
SCRIPT REFERENCES
8-11
CHARACTERS
12-16
THEMES
16-17
SYNOPSIS
18-19
PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
20
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
21
FURTHER READING/REFERENCES
22
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
23-24
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
Going to the theatre is an engaging and interactive experience. We want you to be an active participant when you
see our shows; laugh when it’s funny, cry when it’s sad, gasp when it’s shocking, and enjoy the experience as much
as possible. But we want you to do this in the most respectful way possible, for both the performers and your fellow audience members.
To ensure the most positive experience, please review the following information prior to arriving at the theatre.
The following items are not allowed in the theatre:
•Food and drink (except that which is sold during intermission and/or permitted by the Citadel Theatre, such as
bottled water and ice cream)
•Cameras and other recording devices (please note that taking photographs or other recordings in the theatre is
strictly prohibited by law)
Basic courtesy:
•Turn OFF and put away all electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, video game systems, etc. prior to entering the theatre
•Do not place your feet on the seat in front of you.
•The actors onstage can see and hear the audience during the performance – it is important that audience members
not talk, move around, or fidget during the performance, as this can be distracting for the actors, as well as fellow
audience members.
•There is no dress code at the Citadel Theatre, but we respectfully request that patrons refrain from wearing hats
in the theatre.
•For the safety of those with allergies, please refrain from using perfumes or scented products before coming to
the theatre.
•Please do not place backpacks or other bags in the aisle in front of your feet, as this may impair the ability of persons to exit the row in an emergency.
Inappropriate behaviour:
Citadel Theatre representatives watch carefully during performances for inappropriate behaviour, especially behaviour that could endanger an actor or audience member. Inappropriate behaviour includes, but is not limited to:
•Talking in the audience
•The use of laser pointers or other light or sound-emitting devices
•Interfering with an actor or the performance (tripping, throwing items on or near the stage, etc.)
Audience members identified as engaging in this type of behaviour will be removed from the theatre during the
performance or at intermission.
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CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
CAST
Sir John Middleton
Mr. Dashwood
Elizabeth Dashwood
Mrs. Jennings
Edward Ferrars
Colonel Brandon
Marianne Dashwood
Fanny Dashwood/Anne Steele
Margaret Dashwood
John Willoughby
Lucy Steele/Constance
Robert Ferrars/Thomas
Elinor Dashwood
John Dashwood
JULIEN ARNOLD
STEVE COOMBS
BELINDA CORNISH
ROBIN CRAIG
PATRICK DODD
STEPHEN GARTNER
JULIA GUY
KRISTIN JOHNSTON
EMILY SIOBHAN McCOURT
MATT O’CONNOR
KATIE RYERSON
ADAM SANDERS
MADISON WALSH
JAMIE WILLIAMS
CREATIVE TEAM
BOB BAKER
LESLIE FRANKISH
STANCIL CAMPBELL
OWEN HUTCHINSON
ALLAN GILLILAND
KRISTEN FINLAY
JOSHUA WICKARD
MICHELLE CHAN
SANG-SANG LEE
LORE GREEN
Season Sponsor:
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Director
Set & Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Composer
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Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
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ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Tom Wood is an accomplished playwright, actor,
director, and teacher and has worked with every major
theatre in Canada and a number in the United States. Mr.
Wood has spent seven years with the Stratford Festival
and five with the Shaw Festival. For the theatre, he has
written B-Movie, The play (five Dora Mavor Moore awards
and the Chalmers Award for Best New Play) and Clap
Trap, a farce, produced at Canadian Stage in Toronto and
the National Arts Center in Ottawa. He has also adapted
the Citadel’s production of A Christmas Carol (2016/17
was its 17th season), Pride and Prejudice, a new version
of Servant of Two Masters (set in the Klondike), a new
version of Uncle Vanya (set in Alberta in 1928), and a new
version of Peter Pan (set on the prairies during the
depression). His production of Vanya debuted in America,
starring William Hurt at the Artists Repertory Theatre for
an extended run and rave reviews. Make Mine Love was
Mr. Wood’s comedy about movie-making in Hollywood circa 1938.
Most recently at the Citadel, he played James Tyrone in Long Day’s
Journey Into Night, and he has also played Willy Loman in Death of
A Salesman (Sterling Award nomination), and John in Shining City
(Sterling Award). This past Christmas marked his return to A
Christmas Carol in the role of
Scrooge. His directing credits
at the Citadel include
Arcadia, Romeo and Juliet,
Doubt, a parable, The Glass
Menagerie, and A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.
With Sense and Sensibility,
Mr. Wood returns to the world
of Jane Austen, this time with
the Dashwood sisters.
Tom Wood as Willy Loman in
Death of a Salesman
Tom Wood as James Tyrone and
Brenda Bazinet as Mary Tyrone in
Long Day’s Journey Into Night.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not
pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” -Jane Austen
Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775, at
Steventon, Hampshire. Jane was the seventh out
of eight children in the Austen family. Her father
was the local Reverend George Austen (Church of
England) and her mother was Cassandra. Jane was
one of only two daughters and was inseparable
from her older sister Cassandra (their mother’s
namesake).
Austen began writing in her teens and was quite
prolific. She completed her first novel Love and
Friendship at the tender age of 14. Much of the
writing she composed throughout her teens and
early twenties was later developed into full length
novels.
In 1801, Rev. George Austen decided to move his
family to Bath following his retirement. It’s of
interest to note that Austen’s dislike of the town
surfaces in many of her novels. During her youth,
Austen delighted in participating in social events
and activities, especially dancing. In 1805,
Austen’s father passed away, leaving her family
with serious financial difficulties. Jane, her mother
and sister were left to depend upon the charity of
the Austen brothers. It is rumored that shortly
after this loss, Jane fell in love while on holiday, but that the young man tragically passed away, leaving her with a
broken heart.
The women of the Austen family moved from home to home of the brothers. First, living in Southampton with Frank
and his wife, Mary, and then later moving to a home on Edward’s Chawton estate. It was here that Jane revised the
texts of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. They were published respectively in 1811 and 1813, under the
generic name “A Lady.”
From 1813 until her death in 1817, Austen was extremely productive, completing another three novels and a
significant portion of a fourth. Austen passed away in Winchester from an illness on July 18, 1817, at the age of 41.
She is buried at Winchester Cathedral, which has prompted a great deal of debate and speculation over the centuries.
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ADAPTATIONS
There are some plays and literary works that are continually produced throughout history. For example, the author
Jane Austen has been read and adapted for almost 200 years. In a literary work, there are two types of meaning:
extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic meaning is what literally happens in the work. It is the surface meaning, the plot the
characters find themselves involved in. Extrinsic meaning is fixed and unchanging. Intrinsic meaning refers to the
thoughts the work provokes in the spectator. It often raises questions and voices concerns about the world we live in.
Plays and novels with strong intrinsic meaning tend to stand the test of time and they are often adapted.
An adaptation is a written work (such as a novel) that has been recast in a new form. An artist may choose to create
an adaptation for several different purposes: to update a period piece, to highlight a specific premise/theme or to
create a resistant reading of the original text. Dr. Deborah Cartmell argues that there are three basic types of
adaptations:
i) Transposition: all novel to stage adaptations can be identified as transpositions into a new form. However, they
often also include further levels of transposition relocating the text not just generically but in cultural, geographical
and temporal terms.
ii) Commentary: adapting the text to demonstrate/highlight a specific aspect of the text. In this type of adaptation
there are intertextual references to the original and the understanding/enjoyment of the work is aided by knowledge
of the original text.
iii) Analogue: an analogous or
parallel text that stands on its own
that is not necessarily readily
recognized as the original text. For
example: Clueless is based on Jane
Austen’s Emma, or Apocalypse Now
as an analogue of Joseph Conrad’s
Heart of Darkness.
Tom Wood’s adaptation of Sense
and Sensibility is both a
transposition and commentary
adaptation. His adaptation highlights
both the joys and follies of young
relationships and the intricacies of
navigating romantic relationships. His adaptation captures Austen’s voice while creating an active text for the stage.
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SCRIPT REFERENCES
SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF REGENCY ENGLAND
Social structures underwent significant changes throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In Regency
England, during the industrial revolution and the political shift towards a constitutional monarchy, English society
found their roles were radically redefined and constantly shifting. The most notable change was the emergence of
the merchant middle class. This social group consisted primarily of merchants, insurers, bankers and shipping
companies. At this point in time, there began to be greater social interaction and crossover between the titled
class (royalty) and the merchant class. Several merchants aspired to have their daughters marry into the
aristocracy and often provided major marriage settlements in order to secure these matches. These more affluent
groups had minimal contact with the working class and the poor.
There were further subdivisions among members of the upper classes. The aristocracy was considered to be at the
top of the social ladder, followed by the merchant and middle classes. The social hierarchy within the aristocracy
was even more complex with the additional category of the haut ton (fashionable society). In order to be a
member of this elite social set, an individual had to be rich, well born and fashionable. During the Regency era,
under the influence of the Prince Regent, the haut ton became even
more extravagant and excessive than ever before. In many ways, the gap
between the wealthy and poor grew even greater in spite of the
potential social mobility of socio-economic structures.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Jane Austen wrote the first draft of the novel in the form of a novel-inletters (epistolary form) sometime around 1795, when she was about 19
years old, and gave it the title Elinor and Marianne. She later changed
the form to a narrative and the title to Sense and Sensibility. “Sense” in
the book means good judgment or prudence, and “sensibility” means
sensitivity or emotionality. “Sense” is identified with the character of
Elinor, while “sensibility” is identified with the character of Marianne. By
changing the title, Austen added "philosophical depth" to what began as
a sketch of two characters. The title of the book, and that of her next
published novel, Pride and Prejudice (1813), may be suggestive of
political conflicts of the 1790s.
The three volumes of the first
edition of Sense and Sensibility,
1811
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SCRIPT REFERENCES
HIGH SOCIETY LIFE
Members of the upper classes lived lives of leisure that centred on social events. On a given day, mornings were often
spent reading, writing letters, painting or calling other members of the haut ton. Young women were quite
competitive in demonstrating their skills in these areas in hopes of attracting a husband. The evenings of the ton
were often devoted to more formal dinner and dance events.
Dances were the most popular form of social entertainment, as they allowed the sexes to interact and carry out
courtships. Even more important than the dancing itself was the opportunity to see and be seen in the latest
fashions. Outside of London, people began to replace the highly stylized European dances with a more casual style of
country dancing.
Following the introduction of the cotillion and the quadrille, dancing took on a livelier and more energetic form than
in preceding years. The introduction of the waltz experienced a scandalous reception by older society members, as it
encouraged close physical contact between partners. Social rules dictated that, unless engaged, the waltz should only
be danced one time by each couple per evening. In cases where young couples were desperate to declare their love
in spite of parental resistance, they would waltz together two to three times which, in turn, caused such a scandal
that they would be forced to become engaged.
CRITICAL VIEWS
Austen biographer Claire Tomalin argues that Sense and Sensibility has a
“wobble in its approach,” which developed because Austen, in the
course of writing the novel, gradually became less certain about
whether sense or sensibility should triumph. Austen characterizes
Marianne as a sweet lady with attractive qualities: intelligence, musical
talent, frankness, and the capacity to love deeply. She also
acknowledges that Willoughby, with all his faults, continues to love and,
in some measure, appreciate Marianne. For these reasons, some
readers find Marianne's ultimate marriage to Colonel Brandon an
unsatisfactory ending.
Greg Wise and Kate Winslet as Willoughby and
Marianne in the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility
Other interpretations, however, have argued that Austen's
intention was not to debate the superior value of either
sense or sensibility in good judgment, but rather to
demonstrate that both qualities are equally important, but
must be in balance.
Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman as Marianne and Colonel
Brandon in the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility
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SCRIPT REFERENCES
Regency Era
The Regency in the United Kingdom was a period when King George III was
deemed unfit to rule and his son, the Prince of Wales, ruled as his proxy as
Prince Regent. On the death of his father in 1820, the Prince Regent
became George IV. The term Regency (or Regency era) can refer to various
dates with some given a longer period than the decade of the formal
Regency which lasted 1811–1820. The period 1795 to 1837 (the latter part
of the reign of George III and the reigns of his sons George IV, as Prince
Regent and King, and William IV) is often attributed as the Regency era
characterized by distinctive trends in British architecture, literature,
fashions, politics, and culture. The Regency era formally ended in 1837,
when Queen Victoria succeeded William IV.
Society during the Regency
The Regency is noted for its elegance and achievements in the fine arts
and architecture. This era encompassed a time of great social, political,
and even economic change. War was waged with Napoleon and on other
fronts, affecting commerce both at home and internationally as well as
politics. Despite the bloodshed and warfare, the Regency was also a period
of great refinement and cultural achievement, shaping and altering the
societal structure of Britain as a whole.
George IV while Prince Regent by Sir
Thomas Lawrence
One of the greatest patrons of the arts and architecture was the Prince Regent himself (the future George IV). Upper
class society flourished in a sort of mini-Renaissance of culture and refinement. As one of the greatest patrons of the
arts, the Prince Regent ordered the costly building and refurbishing of the beautiful and exotic Brighton Pavilion and
the ornate Carlton House, as well as many other public works and architecture (See John Nash, James Burton, and
Decimus Burton). Naturally, this required dipping into the treasury and the Regent, and later, King's exuberance
often outstripped his pocket, at the people's expense.
Society was also considerably stratified. In many ways, there was a dark side to the beauty and fashion in England at
this time: in the dingier, less affluent areas of London, thievery, womanizing, gambling, the existence of rookeries,
and constant drinking ran rampant. The population boom — the population increased from just under a million in
1801 to one and a quarter million by 1820 — created a wild, roiling, volatile, and vibrant scene. According to Robert
Southey, the difference between the strata of society was vast indeed:
“The squalor that existed beneath the glamour and gloss of Regency society provided sharp contrast to the Prince
Regent's social circle. Poverty was addressed only marginally. The formation of the Regency after the retirement of
George III saw the end of a more pious and reserved society, and gave birth of a more frivolous, ostentatious one.
This change was influenced by the Regent himself, who was kept entirely removed from the machinations of politics
and military exploits. This did nothing to channel his energies in a more positive direction, thereby leaving him ...
(continued on the next page)
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SCRIPT REFERENCES
Regency Era (continued…)
… with the pursuit of pleasure as his only outlet, as well as his sole form of rebellion against what he saw as
disapproval and censure in the form of his father.” - Robert Southey
Driving these changes was not only money and rebellious pampered youth, but also significant technological
advancements. In 1814, The Times adopted steam printing. This meant a five-fold increase in production, bringing
about the rise of the wildly popular fashionable novels in which publishers spread the stories, rumours, and flaunting
of the rich and aristocratic, not-so-secretly hinting at the specific identity of these individuals. The gap in the hierarchy
of society was so great that those of the upper classes could be viewed by those below as wondrous and fantastical
fiction, something entirely out of reach yet tangibly there.
TIMELINE:
1811—George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales began his nine-year tenure as regent and became known as The
Prince Regent. This sub-period of the Georgian era began the formal Regency.
1812—Final shipment of the Elgin Marbles arrived in England. Sarah Siddons retired from the stage. War of 1812
between the United Kingdom and the United States. The waltz was introduced from Europe into England. Gas
company was founded. Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812.
1813—Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was published. Quaker prison reformer Elizabeth Fry started her ministry at
Newgate Prison. Robert Southey became Poet Laureate.
1814—The Treaty of Paris, ended one of the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon abdicated and was exiled to Elba. The Duke
of Wellington was honoured at Burlington House in London. British soldiers burn the White House. Gas lighting
introduced in London streets.
1815—The English Corn Laws restricted corn imports. Sir Humphry Davy patented the miners' safety lamp. John
Loudon Macadam's road construction method adopted.
1816—Income tax abolished. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. William Cobbett published his newspaper as a
pamphlet. Beau Brummell escaped his creditors by fleeing to France.
1817—The death of Princess Charlotte from complications of childbirth changed obstetrical practices. Elgin Marbles
shown at the British Museum. Captain Bligh died.
1818—Queen Charlotte died at Kew. Manchester cotton spinners went on strike. Riot in Stanhope between lead
miners and the Bishop of Durham's men over Weardale gaming rights. Piccadilly Circus constructed in London.
1819—Peterloo Massacre. Princess Alexandrina Victoria (future Queen Victoria) christened in Kensington Palace.
Ivanhoe by Walter Scott published. Sir Stamford Raffles, a British administrator, founded Singapore. First steampropelled vessel (the SS Savannah) crossed the Atlantic and arrived in Liverpool from Savannah, Georgia.
1820—Death of George III. Accession of The Prince Regent as George IV. The House of Lords passed a bill to grant
George IV a divorce from Queen Caroline, but, because of public pressure, the bill was dropped. Royal Astronomical
Society founded. Venus de Milo discovered.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regency_era
SENSE & SENSIBILITY
CHARACTERS FROM THE NOVEL
Main Characters
Elinor Dashwood — the sensible and reserved eldest daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood. She is 19 years old at the
beginning of the book. She becomes attached to Edward Ferrars,
the brother-in-law of her elder half-brother, John. Always feeling
a keen sense of responsibility to her family and friends, she
places their welfare and interests above her own, and
suppresses her own strong emotions in a way that leads others
to think she is indifferent or cold-hearted.
Marianne Dashwood — the romantically inclined and eagerly
expressive second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood.
She is 16 years old at the beginning of the book. She is the object
of the attentions of Colonel Brandon and Mr. Willoughby. She is
attracted to young, handsome, romantically spirited Willoughby
and does not think much of the older, more reserved Colonel
Brandon. Marianne undergoes the most development within the
book, learning her sensibilities have been selfish. She decides
her conduct should be more like that of her elder sister, Elinor.
Edward Ferrars — the elder of Fanny Dashwood's two brothers.
He forms an attachment to Elinor Dashwood. Years before
meeting the Dashwoods, Ferrars proposed to Lucy Steele, the
niece of his tutor. The engagement has been kept secret owing
to the expectation that Ferrars' family would object to his marrying Miss Steele. He is disowned by his mother on
discovery of the engagement after refusing to give it up.
John Willoughby — a philandering nephew of a neighbour of the Middletons, a dashing figure who charms
Marianne and shares her artistic and cultural sensibilities. It is generally presumed by many of their mutual
acquaintances that he is engaged to marry Marianne (partly due to her own overly familiar actions, i.e., addressing
personal letters directly to him).
Colonel Brandon — a close friend of Sir John Middleton. He is 35 years old at the beginning of the book. He falls in
love with Marianne at first sight, as she reminds him of his father's ward whom he had fallen in love with when he
was young. He is prevented from marrying the ward because his father was determined she marry his older
brother. He was sent into the military abroad to be away from her, and while gone, the girl suffered numerous
misfortunes — partly as a consequence of her unhappy marriage. She finally dies penniless and disgraced, and
with a natural (i.e., illegitimate) daughter, who becomes the ward of the Colonel. He is a very honourable friend to
the Dashwoods, particularly Elinor, and offers Edward Ferrars a living after Edward is disowned by his mother.
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CHARACTERS FROM THE NOVEL—CONT...
Minor Characters
Henry Dashwood – a wealthy gentleman who dies at the beginning of the story. The terms of his estate —
entailment to a male heir — prevent him from leaving anything to his second wife and their children. He asks
John, his son by his first wife, to look after (meaning ensure the financial security of) his second wife and their
three daughters.
Mrs. Dashwood – the second wife of Henry Dashwood, who is left in difficult financial straits by the death of
her husband. She is 40 years old at the beginning of the book. Much like her daughter Marianne, she is very
emotive and often makes poor decisions based on emotion rather than reason.
Margaret Dashwood – the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood. She is 13 at the beginning of
the book. She is also romantic and good-tempered but not expected to be as clever as her sisters when she
grows older.
John Dashwood – the son of Henry Dashwood by his first wife. He intends to do well by his half-sisters, but
he has a keen sense of avarice, and is easily swayed by his wife.
Fanny Dashwood – the wife of John Dashwood, and sister to Edward and Robert Ferrars. She is vain, selfish,
and snobbish. She is very harsh to her husband's half-sisters and stepmother, especially since she fears her
brother, Edward, is attached to Elinor.
Sir John Middleton – a distant relative of Mrs. Dashwood who, after the death of Henry Dashwood, invites
her and her three daughters to live in a cottage on his property. Described as a wealthy, sporting man who
served in the army with Colonel Brandon, he is very affable and keen to throw frequent parties, picnics, and
other social gatherings to bring together the young people of their village. He and his sister-in-law, Mrs.
Jennings (his mother-in-law in the novel), make a jolly, teasing, and gossipy pair.
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CHARACTERS FROM THE NOVEL—CONT...
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CHARACTERS FROM THE NOVEL cont ...
Mrs Jennings – Sister-in-law to Sir John Middleton. A widow who has married off all her children, she
spends most of her time visiting her cousins and their families. She and Sir John Middleton take an active
interest in the romantic affairs of the young people around them and seek to encourage suitable matches,
often to the particular chagrin of Elinor and Marianne.
Robert Ferrars – the younger brother of Edward Ferrars and Fanny Dashwood, he is most concerned about
status, fashion, and his new barouche. He subsequently marries Miss Lucy Steele after Edward is disowned.
Mrs. Ferrars – Fanny Dashwood and Edward and Robert Ferrars' mother. A bad-tempered, unsympathetic
woman who embodies all the foibles demonstrated in Fanny and Robert's characteristics. She is
determined that her sons should marry well.
Lucy Steele – a young, distant relation of Mrs. Jennings, who has for some time been secretly engaged to
Edward Ferrars. She assiduously cultivates the friendship with Elinor Dashwood and Mrs. John Dashwood.
Limited in formal education and financial means, she is nonetheless attractive, clever, manipulative,
cunning and scheming.
Anne/Nancy Steele – Lucy Steele's elder, socially inept, and less clever sister.
Miss Sophia Grey – a wealthy and malicious heiress whom Mr. Willoughby marries to retain his
comfortable lifestyle after he is disinherited by his aunt.
Lady Morton – the mother of Miss Morton.
Miss Morton – a wealthy woman whom Mrs. Ferrars wants her eldest son, Edward, and later, Robert, to
marry.
Mr. Pratt – an uncle of Lucy Steele and Edward's tutor.
Eliza Williams (daughter) – the ward of Col. Brandon, she is about 15 years old and bore an illegitimate
child to John Willoughby. She has the same name as her mother.
Eliza Williams (mother) – the former love interest of Colonel Brandon. Williams was Brandon's father's
ward, and was forced to marry Brandon's older brother. The marriage was an unhappy one, and it is
revealed that her daughter was left as Colonel Brandon's ward when he found his lost love dying in a
poorhouse.
Mrs. Smith – the wealthy aunt of Mr. Willoughby who disowns him for seducing and abandoning the young
Eliza Williams, Col. Brandon's ward.
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
THEMES
Women and Femininity
Rumour has it that girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, but we think that Jane Austen might
disagree. Her very real, at times rather harsh, depiction of the women of Sense and Sensibility exposes the
undeniable fact that there's more to her proper young ladies than meets the eye – underneath their dainty
exteriors, we see dangerous passion, frustration, and even a bit of malice in one case in particular. Austen's
portrayal of women is challenging and incredibly real, and she sums up both the delights and difficulties of
femininity through the array of characters revealed in this text.
Society and Class
The world of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility is a complicated one, in which everyone fits neatly into minute
little pigeonholes in the incredibly stratified, hierarchical class system. Imagine this system as an enormous card
catalog, in which every single person we encounter fits somewhere – and moving them to another place is quite a
big undertaking, that involves shuffling everyone else around slightly and getting them all used to it. Her characters
are all painfully, obsessively aware of their individual positions in society, and all of their relationships are marked
distinctly by their varying amounts of power within the social system.
Love
Love is a many splendoured thing, sure, but it's also a many troubled thing, if you ask Austen. In Sense and
Sensibility, she shows us dramatically different facets of this crazy little thing we call love, from the euphoric to the
life-threatening. While love is certainly the driving force of the various plots we see in this novel, it's not always a
good thing – in fact, more often than not, there's an edge of danger or tragic potential in it. Love, asserts this book,
is wonderful and beautiful and all, but there's always a chance that it'll creep up behind you and stab you in the
back.
Home
The loss of a cherished home is one of the first major thematic elements of Sense and Sensibility, and that sense of
transition and movement persists throughout
the novel. Home is identified as any number of
things – a beloved place, a specific set of wellknown, well-loved landmarks, a treasure trove
of memories – but most of all, it's where the
heart is, as they say. And that mostly means
that it's where the family is; the sense of
connection between the Dashwood sisters (our
protagonists) is what keeps them grounded
throughout this novel, even when everything
seems like it's about to fly apart.
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
THEMES
Language and Communication
Communication and miscommunication are both central to Sense and Sensibility – the novel is full of moments of
misunderstanding as a result of what is said (or notably not said). The characters are constantly in discourse with
each other, whether in person or in letters, but that doesn't mean that they're always clear with one another.
Actually, sometimes it's the surplus of language that makes things unclear – Austen shows us that more words don't
necessarily help explain anything. Rather than simply talking and talking, the important thing is to make sure that
you're actually understanding each other – something that our characters aren't always capable of. Sound familiar?
It should, because it's frequently true in real life.
Family
Families can mean a lot of different things to different people. In Sense and Sensibility, Austen shows us a wide
range of family relationships that demonstrate this diversity of meaning. For example, while she shows us many
examples of how familial love can help bring someone through a personal crisis, she also reveals how cruel and
unfeeling families can be at the same time; we've got everything from sisterly bonding to parents disowning children
here. Yet, despite the gamut of different possibilities, family remains the central unit of this story – no matter how
difficult a character's family life is, it's still fundamental to that character's existence.
Emma Thompson, Emilie François, and Kate Winslet as the Dashwood sisters in the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
SYNOPSIS
ACT 1
Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who embody the
“sense” and “sensibility,” respectively, of the title. The sisters, along with their mother, Elinor,
and their younger sister, Margaret, are cast out of their family home, Norland Park, when their
father, Henry Dashwood, dies. Their half-brother, John Dashwood, inherits their father’s entire
estate, as the law at the time forbids dividing the estate. Although Henry has made John promise
to look after his sisters and keep them from poverty, John’s wife, Fanny, has convinced him
otherwise. Once Fanny and John move into Norland Park, it is clear the Dashwood women are no
longer welcome to stay, and they must find a home elsewhere. Before they leave, they meet
Edward Ferrars, Fanny’s brother, and him and Elinor become quite smitten with each other.
Meanwhile, one of Elizabeth’s distant relations, Sir. John Middleton, has invited the Dashwood
women to stay at their cottage at Barton Park.
Once at Barton Park, Elinor and Marianne discover many new acquaintances, including the retired
officer and bachelor Colonel Brandon, and the gallant and impetuous John Willoughby, who
rescues Marianne after she twists her ankle running down the hills of Barton in the rain.
Willoughby openly and unabashedly courts Marianne, and together the two flaunt their
attachment to one another, until Willoughby suddenly announces that he must depart for London
on business, leaving Marianne lovesick and miserable. Meanwhile, Anne and Lucy Steele, relations
of Mrs. Jennings (Sir. John’s sister-in-law), arrive at Barton Park. Lucy ingratiates herself to Elinor
and informs her that she (Lucy) has been secretly engaged to Mr. Ferrars for four years. Elinor
initially assumes that Lucy is referring to Edward's younger brother, Robert, but is shocked and
pained to learn that Lucy is actually referring to her own beloved Edward. At the end of Act 1,
both Marianne and Elinor are quite miserable due to their love lives, and decide to travel to
London.
ACT 2
Elinor and Marianne travel to London with Mrs. Jennings. Everyone in London is talking of an
engagement between Willoughby and Marianne, though Marianne has not told her family of any
such attachment. Marianne is anxious to be reunited with her beloved Willoughby, but when she
sees him at a party in town, he cruelly rebuffs her and then sends her a letter denying that he
ever had feelings for her. Colonel Brandon tells Elinor of Willoughby's history of callousness and
debauchery, and Mrs. Jennings confirms that Willoughby, having squandered his fortune, has
become engaged to the wealthy heiress Miss Sophia Grey.
Continued...
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
SYNOPSIS CONTINUED ...
At a party hosted by Fanny and John Dashwood, Lucy reveals to Fanny her secret engagement to
Edward Ferrars. Fanny and Edward's mother are outraged at the information and Mrs. Ferrars
disinherits Edward, promising her fortune to Robert instead. Meanwhile, Marianne runs off from
the party, despite the pouring rain, and she falls deathly ill. Upon hearing of her illness,
Willoughby comes to visit, attempting to explain his misconduct and seek forgiveness. Elinor pities
him and ultimately shares his story with Marianne, who finally realizes that she behaved
imprudently with Willoughby and could never have been happy with him anyway. Mrs. Dashwood
and Colonel Brandon arrive in London and are relieved to learn that Marianne has begun to
recover.
When the Dashwoods return to Barton Park, they learn from their manservant that Lucy Steele and
Mr. Ferrars are engaged. They assume that he means Edward Ferrars, and are thus unsurprised,
but Edward himself soon arrives and corrects their misconception: It was Robert, not himself,
whom the money-grubbing Lucy ultimately decided to marry. Thus, Edward is finally free to
propose to his beloved Elinor. At the end of the play, a wedding takes place, but it is not the
wedding we expect: instead, it appears Elinor and Edward are already married, and we witness the
wedding of Marianne and Colonel Brandon instead.
Hugh Grant as Edward and Emma Thompson as Elinor in the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility.
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
PRODUCTION ELEMENTS
PROSCENIUM STAGE
A proscenium theatre is a specific style of theatre. Several features define a proscenium theatre, and this particular
theatre layout is extremely common; if you have ever been to see a live performance, especially in a high school auditorium, chances are high that you have seen a proscenium theatre. In addition to proscenium style theatres, it is also possible to find black box theatres, theatres with thrust stages, theatres in the round, and numerous other configurations
of stage and audience.
The classically defining feature of a proscenium theatre is the proscenium arch which frames the stage for the audience. In addition, the audience faces the stage directly, with no audience on the sides of the stage, and the stage in a
proscenium theatre is typically raised, allowing the audience to see more clearly. Modern proscenium theatres sometimes lack the proscenium arch, but they are still called “proscenium theatres” because they retain the other characteristics of this style of theatre.
Proscenium theatres originated in the 1600s, and became immensely popular by the 1700s. There are certain advantages
of a proscenium theatre, such as the fact that the stage doesn't have to be as open, allowing people to conceal props,
sets, and orchestras in the wings or near the stage without having these things visible to the audience. A proscenium
theatre also creates a sense of staged grandeur, with the proscenium arch acting almost like a picture frame, giving the
audience the sense that they are looking into a scene.
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Questions About Women and Femininity

How do you think Jane Austen defines femininity?

Does Austen offer an ideal model of womanhood? If so, who is it?

What are the differences between women and men here? The similarities?

Do you think Austen's observations about femininity or womanhood hold true today? Why or why not?
Questions About Society and Class

Most of the characters we encounter in Sense and Sensibility fall in the vague category we call the middle class. Can you
differentiate between them? If so, how?

What kind of impact do society and social convention have upon the various characters in Austen's novel?

Is there any single “correct” take on social convention here? If so, what is it?

Is social class a limiting factor here, or do characters manage to get around it?
Questions About Love

What different kinds of love do we see in Sense and Sensibility?

What aspects contribute to the love relationships we see here?

In your opinion, do you think the characters view love differently than modern readers do?
Questions About The Home

How could we define the home in Sense and Sensibility?

Is home truly where the heart is? Or do the Dashwoods have no home at all once they leave Norland?

What economic significance does the home have in this novel?

How does home relate to family, and vice versa?
Questions About Language and Communication

Does the necessary elements of propriety and convention in characters' speech contribute to clear understanding, or to
misunderstanding?

Do you think that any of these plot lines could have been resolved earlier by changing the ways in which the characters
communicate with each other? Why or why not? If your answer to the above question was yes, how do you think they
could communicate differently?
Questions About Family

Is there anything more important than family in this text?

In your opinion, can familial obligation be classified as either positive or negative here? Why or why not?

What role does the family play in individual decisions in this text? In your opinion, is this fair?

How does the family's function as an economic unit play into Sense and Sensibility?
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Articles
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/02/sense-and-sensibility-jane-austen-emmathompson/434007/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/16/sense-and-sensibility-jane-austen-elena-ferranteanonymity
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/may/18/ten-questions-jane-austen
http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol32no1/stovel.html
http://www.janeausten.org/sense-and-sensibility/sense-and-sensibility-online.asp
http://classiclit.about.com/od/sensesensibility/a/Sense-And-Sensibility-Review.htm
http://www.jasna.org/info/about_austen.html
http://www.jasna.org/info/works.html
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJMnm28vAqQ
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/senseandsensibility/
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
Curriculum Connections:
Participation as an audience member at the Citadel Theatre aligns with the Alberta Education Curriculum. We’ve outline
below some (but not limited to) objectives which are developed through the viewing of live theatre:
Drama (Elementary)
Third Goal
To foster an appreciation for drama as an art form
Objectives
The child should:
1. develop an awareness of an respect for potential excellence in self and others
2. Develop a capacity to analyze, evaluate and synthesize ideas and experiences
3. Develop an awareness and appreciation of the variety of dramatic forms of expression.
Specific Learner Expectations:
Intellectual—develop and exercise imagination; develop concentration
Emotional—explore emotion; control emotion; express emotion
Social—understand others; discipline self; develop appreciation of the work of self and others; cope with emotional responses
Integrative—learn to respond to stimuli; e.g., music, pictures, objects, literature; test and reflect on the consequences of
dramatic decisions
Drama (Junior High)
GOAL I
To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.
Objectives
The student will:
• strengthen powers of concentration
• extend the ability to think imaginatively and creatively
• extend the ability to explore, control and express emotions
• extend the ability to explore meaning through abstract concepts

develop the ability to offer and accept constructive criticism
GOAL III
To develop an appreciation for drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Objectives
The student will:

develop awareness of various conventions of theatre

develop awareness of drama and theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible

develop the ability to analyze and assess the process and the art

develop recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre
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SENSE & SENSIBILITY
CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT
Drama 10-20-30
GOAL I
To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.
Objectives
The Student will:

extend the ability to concentrate

extend understanding of, acceptance of and empathy for others

demonstrate respect for others — their rights, ideas, abilities and differences (S)

demonstrate the ability to offer, accept, and reflect upon, constructive criticism.
GOAL II
To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration of various dramatic disciplines.
Objectives
The Student will:

demonstrate understanding of integration of disciplines to enrich a theatrical presentation.
GOAL III
To develop an appreciation of drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Objectives
The student will:
• explore various conventions and traditions of theatre
• broaden knowledge of theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible (
• demonstrate the ability to assess critically the process and the art
• demonstrate recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre
• develop an awareness of aesthetics in visual and performing arts.
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