Recap of Virtual: Jane Austen: Who Wants to Be an Authoress?
Posted by Jennyvi Dizon on
On a rainy afternoon in NYC, I woke up exhausted from designing. Somehow, after years of doing fashion week shows, I had forgotten how much work they take. From the designing and the website edits, I felt like it was a good day for a one woman show like myself to take a much-needed break.
Coincidentally, I check my email and was delighted to see that another one woman show Virtual: Jane Austen: Who Wants to Be an Authoress? was scheduled. As soon as Laura Rocklyn was introduced, she was in character talking to the Zoom audience like we were in the same drawing room together. In the comfort of our homes, the whole experience transformed how I usually watch.
When "Miss Austen" would sip her cup of tea, I found myself taking a sip of mine. When she would turn her head to look outside of her window, I caught myself turning mine. I wanted to see what Jane was seeing. By the end of it, I had to remind myself that it was a performance and not the real Jane.
Laura's performance was the first time I had seen someone act as Jane Austen and now, I will happily see more. She made us feel closer to Jane's work and if you're like me some of Austen's novels feels like old friends. I didn't think it was possible to love Jane Austen even more, but because of Laura, I can honestly say I do.
Thank you to the Niles-Maine District Library for hosting this online event. I look forward to seeing more of Laura in "The Astrology of Genius: Anne Ortelee reads Jane Austen, with special guest Laura Rocklyn." Both women should be as engaging, educational and soul inspiring for any Janeite.
About Laura Rocklyn
Laura has loved acting since she was a child growing up between Charlottesville, Virginia, and Salisbury, England. Drawing on training from both sides of the Atlantic, she has performed with regional theater companies across the USA, on national tours, and on TV and film. She is also a playwright and writes and performs one-woman historic character portrayals for educational groups around the world. Laura holds an MFA from The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston.
To learn more about Laura go to laurarocklyn.com or click here.
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