January of the New Year 2008 opened with great news for Jane Austen fans and millions of PBS Masterpiece Theatre enthusiasts of the beloved British drama series.Masterpiece Theatre broadcast the adaptation of Jane Austen's six novels. Enthusiastic viewers were invited to tune in on Sunday nights for "The complete Jane Austen" new presentations of Northanger Abby, Persuasion, Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility. The lineup included the acclaimed Emma starring Kate Beckinsale, and Pride and Prejudice, the Emmy award-winning miniseries that made Colin Firth a wet tee-shirt heartthrob. Miss Austen Regrets, a true story based on Jane Austen's own letters and diaries, was part of the four-month marathon. Culminating with an elegant formal Jane Austen Tea presented by the local PBS station, KCTS (channel 9), at the DAR house on Capitol Hill, an ideal setting. Almost 200 years after her death, Jane Austen's popularity continues to soar, with two feature films about her, books and articles analyzing her appeal.Four of the titles-Northanger Abby, Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Pride and Prejudice-were adapted by celebrated British screenwriter Andrew Davies, whose Bleak House on Masterpiece Theatre was one of the most acclaimed television dramas of 2006. He used his considerable poetic license with great skill to adapt the stories to present day audiences.The Tea was scheduled for Saturday, April 12. The response from PBS audiences was so great that a second Tea was added on Sunday, April 13. In all, 281 interested Channel 9 viewers attended this highly successful fundraising event. The local Jane Austen Society worked in conjunction with KCTS to present a fabulous program, including songs of Jane Austen's time sung by soprano Charlene Kern, with members of the Jane Austen Society modeling their own hand stitched creations, and a bevy of beautiful young lady volunteers wearing costumes from the University of Washington Drama Department. The program was introduced by Monica Ramsey of KCTS and Professor Loveday Conquest of the Jane Austen Society. The Tea was formally delightful with costumed members of the Jane Austen Society seated at each table after being formally introduced as lords and ladies with great pomp and circumstance. Jane Austen would have approved. The Jane Austen Society of North America is dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing. JASNA is a nonprofit staffed by volunteers with approximately 4,000 members and more than 60 regional groups in the United States and Canada. Its members, who are of all ages and from diverse walks of life, share an enjoyment of Austen's fiction and the company of like-minded readers. Membership in JASNA is open to anyone who shares an interest in Jane Austen. Full information is on the membership page at www.jasna.org. We welcome your participation in JASNA's activities, conferences, and regional groups.The local Jane Austen Society was founded in 1994 and has about 50 members who meet for interesting programs, meetingsand costume events. More information about events can be found on their website: www.austenps.com.Upcoming events on KCTS "Cranford " continues at 9 p.m. on Sundays and starting June 15 "The Complete Jane Austin: Sense and Sensibility ( both parts) commencing at 8 p.m. So enjoy and continue to support KCTS.TTFNLinda of London [[In-content Ad]]
