This is a Creative Narration of Jane Austen's novel "Northanger Abbey," written by our daughter Bethany at age 14.
Drama Daze - A One Act Play
by Bethany M. Breckenridge
Actresses:
Catherine "Marie" Anderson - as Miss Catherine Morland
17-year-old Marie does enjoy all the things that Austen's Catherine loves - everything from the "horrid" novels, to seeking out her "Mr. Tilney" when she's out with Lizza. She has a great sense of humor and a love for the arts, but her anger is kindled much faster than Lizza'sespecially where Ann is concerned.
Elizabeth "Lizza" Smith- as Miss Eleanor Tilney
Elizabeth, Marie's best friend already, has an easy job of playing Eleanor. Though she can be animated at times, Lizza's kind, devoted character holds the team together. Lizza is almost two weeks older than Marie is, but they might as well be twins!
Ann Sanders - as Miss Isabella Thorpe
Ann is a flighty sixteen-year-old, whose personality perfectly fits that of the character which she will playexcept that she never seems to have that side that could be nice, like Isabella had.
Actors:
David Smith - as Henry Tilney
David is Lizza's eighteen-year-old cousin. Though he is much more outgoing than Mr. Tilney is portrayed, he has the same intellectual, logical side to him. He also has a dry sense of humor that makes him fun to be around.
Mark Wood - as James Morland
18-year-old Mark is rather opposite of the character that he plays. He is very careful of whom he chooses to spend his time with, and is rather subdued.
Timothy Johnson - as Captain Frederick Tilney
Tim suits his character, for he is a rather mischievous 16-year-old who acts almost ditsy. He never seems to know or care what's going on around him, unless it affects his happiness or well being.
Jonathan Sanders - as John Thorpe
John is Ann's 17-year-old brother, and it shows. They are alike in their flighty, selfish ways. He would never purposely hurt anyone, but stops at nothing to get his way.
Set:
A group of chairs at the foot of a stage, and a few signs about "The Jolted Drama Group" and "The Jolted Drama Group presents, Northanger Abbey" and, "JOLTEDthe band!" etc.
Enter Marie and Lizza, along with David and Mark on either side. Jonathan and Timothy follow at a short distance, while Ann is close behind.
Marie, Lizza, David and Mark are talking animatedly about the play, while Jonathan and Timothy are looking with semi scornful smiles at the foursome. Ann, meanwhile, is trying to cut in the conversation to talk to Timothy, but as they ignore her she appears to get annoyed. She flounces off ahead of everyone, and takes the first seat that she gets to, putting her purse on the seat to her left. She moves it for Timothy to sit down, and Jonathan sits to the right of her, followed by Mark with Lizza to his right. They are followed Marie and finally David. There is a chair between David and Timothy with scripts on it, and another between Mark and Jonathan with spiral notebooks and pencils on it.
Lizza:
"Why don't we pass around the pencils and notebooks and the scripts and we can get started!" (nods and silent responses. John and Timothy start the piles next to them. When everyone has their things, Marie begins.)
Marie:
"Ok, there are a few things that we've got to discuss before we get on
with our meeting. First, we need to decide who's doing what. We are the main characters other than Mr. and Mrs. Hanson as Mr. and Mrs. Allan, and Bill Bennings - otherwise known as "Uncle Bill" - as General Tilney."
David:
"It's so funny to see Uncle Bill as General Tilney. I mean, it'll be fun working with my uncle and all, but he is so nothing like General Tilney."
Lizza:
"Yeah, I agree with you a hundred percent, Dave! General Tilney was sort of hard, and though he was polite, and often thoughtful, he seemed to only do things that would benefit himself."
Marie:
"Right! Like when he split up Henry and Catherine on purpose because he found out that Catherine was not as right as he had thought!"
David: (with a teasing smile)
"Yeah, all thanks to Mr. Thorpe over there who made her out to be more wealthy than she was because his pride would be hurt if people knew that he wanted to marry someone of lower ranks."
Jonathan: (in a personal retort)
"Right, only after Tilney decided to check her out because his son stared at her all night at the theater."
(Lizza beams a knowing smile at Marie who blushes after a sweet, compassionate wink from David that was meant only for Marie to see. A light silence follows. Ann begins to look really annoyed.)
Marie: (sort of coming out of a trance)
"Ok, where were we? Oh right. Does everyone have a notebook? (nods) OK, good. The first thing we are going to do is make a list of the characters, and then after a dash, write who is going to play them. "
(everyone starts writingeventually a few people look up)
Marie: (looking around)
"Is everyone ready? (after some affirming nods she begins) OK, next we are going to go through the characters one by one and together discuss what we think their personalities are, and how we think they would act in certain situations."
Mark:
" I think that we should start with Catherine Morland. After all, she is the heroine of the story."
(A general nod flows through the room, but Ann sort of sits there.)
Ann: (semi sighing)
"Might as well get her over with."
(Marie opens her mouth to say something - but immediately closes it when Lizza jumps in)
Lizza: (rushing the first phrase as if to get it in)
"Well I think that she (pause)... well I think that she had a sweet personality, and"
Jonathan: (breaking in with a smirk)
"And slow temper!"
Marie: (trying to make the best of it)
"Yeah, something I'll have to work on for the part." (forcing a smile)
Dave: (jumping to her aid)
"Well I think that there is something to be said for that, I mean, I'm sure that there are things that we could all learn from this play."
Ann: (retorting)
"Yeahwould you remind me of some?"
Lizza:
"Ann, I think that you have a good idea. While we are thinking of character traits"
Marie: (cutting in)
"No pun intended!"
Lizza:
"Right! (smiling) we should be looking for things that we can learn from it."
(nods)
Marie: (in a "getting down to business" voice)
"Ok. Well, what are some things that Catherine loved?"
Mark:
"Balls?"
Lizza:
"Ok, to a certain extent, but
David: (cutting in)
"Only when Mr. Tilney was there. The rest of the times, she usually spent the evening looking for him"
Lizza: (regaining her thought)
"Right. But I can think of a few things that the book specifically says that she likes."
Timothy: (with enthusiasm)
"Yeah! Like that um (snap and point with fingers), those(quotes with fingers) 'horrid novel' things."
Marie: (laughing)
"Right, the 'horrid novels' were something that is specifically stated in the book as something that she loved. It was also her first bridge to conversation with Miss Isabella."
Ann: (happy she's finally in the limelight)
"Right! Isabella also had read some of the books that Catherine had read, and when they were sitting in the, um, Pump Room, they discussed them, which brought them to meet again."
Mark:
"Catherine had an unusual relationship with Isabella; a friendship that anyone would die for, and it happened overnight! She, Isabella I mean, did seem to have a manipulative way about her though. If she wanted Catherine to do something, Catherine did it, and there are places in the book where Catherine even second guesses things that she has done at
Isabella's beckoning."
Marie:
"I agree, but I think that the one that had the biggest manipulation problem was Isabella's older brother John. Though she didn't say anything about it until later to Eleanor and Henry, Austen wrote about Catherine being troubled by it."
Timothy:
"Yeah, like when she's in the Allen's home after the carriage ride to the castle"
Lizza: (breaking in)
"Which they never got to"
Timothy: (nodding his head)
"Right."
Marie:
"I can think of another time even before that"
Lizza: (catching on)
"But in the same context."
Marie:
"Right."
Dave: (after some thought/with the snap-shoot thing)
"Oh yeah! When they are getting into, and actually in the carriage! Catherine actually yells at John and makes a bit of a scene (small chuckle)and frankly I don't blame her!"
Ann: (with a smirk)
"Yeah, if I were forced by John to get in a carriage, I'd make a sceneand I mean the character or the actor!"
(a general chuckle goes around the circle, except for Jonathan who sort of shoots an annoyed smile at Ann while nodding his head)
Marie:
"OK guys, let's get down to it here. What would you say this book is about?"
Lizza: (thoughtfully)
"Well, I would say that it is about a girl who is, well, almost finding herself"
David: (agreeing)
"Yeah, there is definitely some molding going on there; she seems almost torn between the, how should I put this, flamboyant, mystery-loving side of Isabella, and the sympathetic and, well, lady-like side of Eleanor."
Mark:
"I think in the end, she ends up with a good balance of the two."
(a general nod, followed by silence as everyone slips into their own
thoughts)
(a clock chimes from off stage and everyone is sort of shaken out of it)
Ann:
"Wow! I didn't know it was so late! I've got a babysitting appointment in forty-five minutes"
Jonathan:
"and I've got to take her"
Timothy:
"and he's my ride home so"
Mark:
"Maybe we'd better wrap this thing up, Marie."
Marie:
"You're right. Ok, so next time we'll talk about each of the characters a little bit more, and decide who'll help with costumes, set, etc. And I think we should talk a little bit more about the book - or play, itself, because you can act something so much better if you are familiar with it. While we're at it, are there any places that you think we should
discuss?"
Jonathan:
"I think that we should discuss the two times that she receives letters while she is at the Abby. She has such different reactions both times."
Dave:
"Right. The first one (from James, her brother) she had been looking forward to for such a long time. Henry proudly gives it to her, and she is thrilled beyond words, but when she finds out the note contains the details of Isabella's betrayal, she sobbed the rest of the afternoon. Then when she gets the one from Isabella, she gets a hard look in her
eyes and says, what was it? Oh yes, 'I don't care to receive another letter as long as I live' "
Mark:
"Other than that, I don't think that there is much else to talk about. I mean, sure, you could talk about the balls that she went to, or what she did to pass the time at the Abbey, there are really only two other things to talk about"
Lizza:
"Right! The time when Catherine's imagination runs away with her, and she goes up to the dead mother's room. She expects to find some sort of evidence of murder, only to bump into Henry
Dave:
"Literally!"
Lizza:
"When she is exiting the room!"
Marie:
"And I'm guessing that the other time would have to be when Henry raced to the Morland residence to explain everything to Catherine, and to ask for her hand."
Mark:
"You got it!"
Marie:
"Well, I think we have this all wrapped for today, and I'm sure we all have things to do, so let's plan to meet Friday night around say 7:00pm, at my place! That good for everyone?"
(everyone nods except Anne)
Anne:
"I'll have to check my date book"
(everyone tries to smother a laugh)
Marie:
"See y'all Friday!"
(everyone gets up from their chairs and picks up their stuff to leave. A general chatter arises, and everyone departs in the same groups they came in with, but each group going separate ways.)
The End
In the fall of 1999, we were studying the War of 1812. I gave Bethany her assignment: read about the war, then write your narration of it in the form of a diary - written by a young woman living in the Sacketts Harbor, New York, area at that time. (Sacketts Harbor is familiar to us as being in the same general area as"the cottage," the summer place my family has gone to since I was thirteen.)
One note: Bethany told me it was fun selecting names that would "fit" the times - but that one restriction on her was that she could not write what she knew about Dolley Madison rescuing the painting from the White House and she especially couldn't write about the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner at Fort McHenry, since that wasn't known and decided until much later.
When she finished, she put it in a small form - about 4" x 6" - and stapled it together. It really looked like someone's little diary!
"My Diary"
"This Book Belongs to Marie Alden, started on May 20th, 1812"
by Bethany M. Breckenridge, age 13 1/2
Dear Diary,
Today is the twentieth of May 1812.
I have just finished this wonderful story in which the heroine has a diary and writes in it every day. That is what I am going to attempt to do. I'll write as often as I can from my look out point that James brought me to, at our first picnic together.
First I'll write a little bit about myself. My name is Marie Alden, and I am sixteen years of age. I am the third of eight children. There's Joanna, she's twenty and married, and John who's almost eighteen. Then there's me. After me is thirteen-year-old Ben, and ten-year-old Sarah; then Thomas (whom I call Tommy) who's eight, Nathaniel (or Nate) who is six, and Abigail, or Abby to me, who is three.
Father, John Alden, is a carpenter who mostly works on ships. Mother, Rebecca Alden, is the local midwife, and I am her apprentice. Her mother, Marie, came from France when she was young, and now lives with us. That's where I got my name.
James has been a very close friend since I was eleven and he was twelve. But since I was fifteen, there was something a little more. Then, when he asked Father if he could court me on my sixteenth birthday, he has spent all of his free time here.
I have a good friend named Elizabeth, but I don't see her much any more.
Oh but now Mother is calling me to make supper. I have to go. Goodbye for now.
~Marie
May 25th, 1812
Dear Diary,
I spent the day with James today; he is so sweet. He brought me a rose from the flower shop! I don't think Mother or Father approved, but I was thrilled. Mother said that he could have brought me any other flower, but he just had to pick a rose. I think deep down though she's happy for me.
James seemed worried about something though. I don't know what it was, but something was wrong. Oh, well. I'll find out soon enough.
~Marie
May 30th, 1812
Dear Diary,
I haven't been very faithful in writing to you every day as I promised, but so much has been going on! Everyone who knows anything about politics knows that something is wrong. People everywhere are stirring up feelings of contempt for the British. Even for Canada now. There is even talk of war! I am so worried.
~Marie
June 12th, 1812
Dear Diary,
Father has been working late and early every day for days now! Orders for ships are coming in by the dozens! Well, maybe not that many, but there's still a lot.
But the real news is that all the orders are from the government! There's going to be a war; I can feel it. ~Marie
June 18th, 1812
Dear Diary,
America has declared war against Britain!
Everything has been in an uproar! The city is preparing things to ship to other cities that will be in trouble as soon as the war begins.
There are Recruiting Officers everywhere and I don't think that there is one man over 15 who has not pledged his services in some way. Women are sewing clothes and baking extra bread for their loved ones who will be fighting, and Mothers are trying to make their sons stay out of it, even if just for a little while. Elizabeth has already had to say goodbye to her two older brothers, and I can't help but wondering how our family will be separated in all of this.
Well, I have to go to bed now, the candle is too dim to read or write by.
~Marie
June 30th, 1812
Dear Diary,
In my last entry I wrote that I wondered how this war would effect me; well now I know.
Father has been commissioned to stay here at Sacketts Harbor and oversee the building of the ships for our navy. At least for now he will be out of harm's way there. John will be training here to work on ships, in firing the cannons and such. We all know that as soon as the British come near Lake Ontario though, that he will be called out to serve.
James is doing the same as John. At least Ben is too young to go.
~Marie
July 10th, 1812
Dear Diary,
Awhile back, the American army captured the schooner, "Lord Nelson." Well, now it is being held at my father's shipyard in the Harbor! I'm worried though. I'm afraid that the Canadians will come and try to attack the Harbor in hope of retrieving it!
But now I am going to play with Abby. She wants my to teach her how to sew.
~Marie
July 13th, 1812
Dear Diary,
Today was my birthday! I'm was excited! Mother told that Papa and John would be allowed to come home, but they surprised me by having James over too! I was upset that Joanna said that she was too busy to come over, but the rest of us had a good time, and the children loved helping me blow out the candles on my cake!
But the best part was that since I'm seventeen now, and James is eighteen, Papa said that we could be married when I am eighteen! That's only a year away! I'm sure the war will be over by then, and we can have a nice, quiet, cozy home in the farm that James is to inherit when he is nineteen.
Apparently he knew before he came, because along with a dozen roses (from the bush at the farm), James brought me a pad of paper and two pencils to start planning how to decorate it. He even brought Papa, Mother and I to the farm to look at it. It's so nice! There's only a dirt road between Lake Ontario, and us and we'll still be only a twenty-minute buggy ride to Mama and Papa. I really shouldn't call it a farm; it's more like a ranch with a large garden. James' real job will be working with Papa in the shipyard.
But I must go to sleep now; my candle has almost burnt out.
~Marie
July 18th, 1812
Dear Diary,
A Messenger rode into out town today, saying that the British had captured Fort Mackinac!
They made the first move then. But here's the worst news: Supposedly, the Canadian Provincial Fleet is coming across the Lake and are headed straight for Sacketts Harbor! Apparently my fears were correct; the Canadians are coming to try to take back Lord Nelson!
But I must go now. Mother needs me to go bring a cart load of food and blankets to the Harbor. Maybe I'll see Father or John. Or maybe James! Abby is here waiting for me. I guess she is going too! Better bring some snacks!
~Marie
July 19th, 1812
Dear Diary,
I had such a wonderful time seeing Father and John yesterday! It was so good to see them, yet I had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I may never see them again. I shudder at the thought.
Then I saw James as I was leaving, and oh do I wish Abby had not been there! He tried to talk with me, but Abby kept pulling at my skirt, and begging him to talk her, and we ended up not talking as much as I had hoped. But at least the person I hope to marry someday has an interest in my family.
Andwhat was that?! I heard some kind of explosion! Good bye for now!
~Marie
July 21st, 1812
Dear Diary,
It was explosions that I heard! The Canadians attempted to take back the ship, Lord Nelson! The battle lasted for quite awhile, but their ships were finally driven off. Thankfully, no American was hurt.
Well I'm going to take Sarah, Tommy and Nate for a walk down by the water. We're going to have a picnic and see if we can see ducks.
~Marie
July 30th, 1812
Dear Diary,
Well the war rages on. There hasn't been any more fighting by us, but there has been talk of an ambush. We shall see. I brought more food and blankets to the men at the Harbor, and this time I didn't bring Abby. But to my chagrin I didn't see James. Oh, well. Papa says that he and my brother are fine, and that James is just as well. I'll just have to trust him.
But the bread is done rising, so I'd better go punch it down.
~Marie
August 1st, 1812
Dear Diary,
The Ambush worked! Our sailing master, Francis H. Gregory, ambushed a British sailing vessel in the Thousand Islands! It was a perfect spot for an ambush, Papa says. Master Gregory had to burn it though, because an enemy gunboat was after them.
Huuuuuu, Abby's crying again so I'd better go.
~Marie
August 19th, 1812
Dear Diary,
Things have been pretty quiet here, so I haven't written much. But things, unfortunately, have been going on other places.
The British have captured Fort Dearborn, and Detroit has surrendered! Those British sure have something coming to them though I'm sure.
Well I just able to sneak this in between lessons with Tommy and Nate. But Now Nate is ready and I'll have to teach again.
~Marie
THE PAGES HERE ARE MISSING. THEY MAY HAVE RIPPED DUE TO OLD AGE.
March 17th, 1813
Dear Diary,
Today was James' birthday!
I went to his house for dinner. His family is so sweet, and I have become very close with his sister, Ann. I was never too close to Joanna, my sister, because she never had time for me, so it's nice having someone to talk to.
Well, James inherited the Ranch today!
We will also have a fairly large garden that I will tend to, and he will help me with it on Saturdays. We'll also have cows, chickens, cart and wagon horses, and two riding horses.
He is so happy!
~Marie
May 30th, 1813
Dear Diary,
Two days ago, the second battle of Sacketts Harbor began. The British took advantage of the fact that the majority of our forces were at Fort George and attacked. We were blessed by the fact that we still had General Jacob Brown with us. He used his military genius to over through the attack, and we won! He is truly amazing.
Papa was so proud of the way that he said the men pulled together to win. "No man was above the next," he said. "We were all there just fighting for the same goalour still young nation."
~Marie
July 13th, 1813
Dear Diary,
It's my birthday again, but the war is still raging on. James and I have decided that we will wait to get married until the war is over, or no longer involves him. If we were married now, he couldn't live at the ranch, and I couldn't live at the harbor, so we wouldn't see each other any more than we do now. And if, heaven forbid, anything should happen to him, I would be left alone. Oh this wretched war!
But at least now we can say that anytime that seems like the war is at least slowing down we can get married. Mother and I finished picking out the material for the curtains of our ranch, and I just finished our quilt yesterday.
Well, I must leave. I'm helping at the Army Hospital today. Ben, who is now 15, is coming, too.
~Marie
August 13th, 1813
Dear Diary,
Well, things were calm for a while, until the War Department ordered Major General Wilkinson to take his men (all 8,000 of them!) and join forces with General Hampton coming from Lake Champlain with 4,000 more men! Major General Wilkinson left the Harbor and took the Saint Lawrence the rest of the way. This is the beginning of what some are saying will someday be called the Grand Invasion of Canada.
We prayed and sent them off. I hope they will be successful, and that not many of our men get hurt.
~Marie
October 27th, 1813
Dear Diary,
General Hampton was to meet General Wilkinson and travel on in our "Grand Invasion", but was caught in a swamp! They finally had to retreat and never made it to Wilkinson. I wonder if General Wilkinson knows about their retreat. I hope so.
Well, I'm taking care of my niece, Mary, so Joanna can go into town. I love her, but my sister sure can be selfish. Her husband isn't even in the war; he's a banker. I was supposed to bring more food to Papa's men, but she decides that her new dress is more important. Oh, well. Here I go!
~Marie
November 11th, 1813
Dear Diary,
Remember how I told you that General Hampton was going to meet Major General Wilkinson to invade the Canadians? Well, remember how I also said that I hoped that the Major General knew that Hampton had to retreat? Well, he didn't. With some 8,000 men, Wilkinson sailed up the St. Lawrence. They docked their boats in an attempt to camp for the night, but did not realize that some 900 British men had followed them. The British attacked the unsuspecting Americans, and we were forced to retreat.
So much for our "Grand Invasion."
~Marie
February 10th, 1814
Dear Diary,
General Wilkinson has been trying and trying to defeat the Canadians, and after many failed attempts he was relieved of his duties. At this point no one thinks that we'll win the war, except for a few good men here at the Harbor. Even they just say that peace will be declared, and the war will end. Any way is happens, I just hope it ends soon.
~Marie
March 17th, 1814
Dear Diary,
James is 20 today, and had a wonderful birthday. It might as well have been my birthday, too, for he surprised me with something. We are going to be married in June! Some of the men will be allowed to go home if no fighting is going on. They will have to be ready to leave at any minute, and they will have to take turns going back to the harbor so that there is a sizeable army there in case of emergency, but we can handle that!
Well, if I write by this light much more I'll go blind, so I'll stop now.
~Marie
May 10th, 1814
Dear Diary,
It was amazing!
The British were planning to capture our supplies for the new frigate that we are building here at the Harbor. They landed off of Oswego, not knowing that the goods were stored in hiding at Oswego. They captured the fort and the town, but they never found the materials! Finally, they gave up, and let the town go! Maybe we will win this war after all!
I have to bring Nate and Tommy to stream to catch tonight's supper.
~Marie
June 1st, 1814
Dear Diary,
I can't believe what our American soldiers have done now!
After the British had captured the town and fort near Oswego, we knew that we had to move the materials to the Harbor. We also knew that the British soldiers would be watching for us in the lake. So, our men took the goods from Oswego Falls, to Oswego be land then to the Harbor by way of Lake Ontario. Well, they were right; the British were looking for them.
So they decided to bring it by way of Sandy Creek. The British discovered their plan though, and followed them into the creek. The tables turned though when our men set up an ambush. The British surrendered within ten minutes of fire.
~Marie
June 8th, 1814
Dear Diary,
We are getting married on June 20th!
I'm so excited! I have the ranch almost finished, I have meals planned for our first two weeks, and the shopping lists ready of foods to buy. Oh, I can't wait! Mother is helping me mend her wedding dress so I can wear it. I'm going to carry Lily of the Valley's, and wear mother's gloves. She has been rather teary eyed though.
~Marie
July 13th, 1814
Dear Diary,
The First few weeks have been like a dream! Everything has been perfect and
THE REST OF THIS PAGE WAS MISSING. WE ARE GUESSING THAT IT WENT ON TO DESCRIBE THOSE FIRST FEW WEEKS, AND HER BIRTHDAY.
September 5th, 1814
Dear Diary,
I can't believe it! The British burned all of the major buildings in Washington City! How could they? The nerve! Wretched people! That is all that the messenger knew, for he had left as soon as it happened. I will write as soon as I hear any more.
~Marie
September 20th, 1814
Dear Diary,
There has been almost nothing going on here in the north, and James has been able to do his normal work almost constantly! But I can't say that things are going that slow in the south. The British attacked Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland. They tried and tried to defeat the fort that should have been easy to defeat, but they couldn't! Even here you can feel the pride that our nation has for each other.
~Marie
December 30th, 1814
Dear Diary,
The war is over! The Americans and the British signed a peace treaty, and the war is over!
Everyone everywhere is celebrating.
Oh, I'm so glad things will be back to normal.
It's so funny to think that before the war started, I was 16, had a funny crush on James, and lived with my parents. Now when the war is over I'm 19, married to James, living on his ranch with a precious little one on the way!
But now it is time for me to make supper, and get ready for Abby's birthday party.
~Marie
The End
Copyright 1999 Bethany M. Breckenridge
