Jane Austen and Performance

This is the first exploration of the performative and theatrical force of Austen’s work and its afterlife, from the nineteenth century to the present. It unearths new and little-known Austen materials: from suffragette novels and pageants to school and amateur theatricals, passing through mid-twentieth-century representations in Scotland and America. The book concludes with an examination of Austen fandom based on an online survey conducted by the author, which elicited over 300 responses from fans across the globe. Through the lens of performative theory, this volume explores how Austen, her work and its afterlives, have aided the formation of collective and personal identity; how they have helped bring people together across the generations; and how they have had key psychological, pedagogical and therapeutic functions for an ever growing audience. Ultimately, this book explains why Austen remains the most beloved author in English Literature.

Table of Contents:
Introduction.- 1. Jane Austen and Suffrage.- 2. Jane Austen and the Theatre of War.- 3. Early Re-enactments.- 4. Reinscribing Emma.- 5. Jane Austen Abroad.- 6. Women’s Rewritings.- 7. Jane and Fans.- Epilogue.- Appendix: Jane Austen on the Scottish Stage, 1940-1960.- Bibliography.- Index.

About the Author :
Marina Cano is a teaching fellow in Women’s Writing in English at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Her research interests include women’s writing, the long nineteenth-century, performance and gender theory. She is also a researcher in “Travelling Texts 1790-1914: Transnational Reception of Women’s Writing at the Fringes of Europe.”

Review :
“This well-presented book is furnished throughout with illustrations, as well as an appendix detailing Scottish theatrical adaptations. Cano’s monograph is both accessible and scholarly, making it perfect for the academic and casual reader alike.” (Forum for Modern Language Studies, Vol. 54 (2), April, 2019) “Cano’s pioneering book breaks new ground, offering fascinating, insightful, and unique material that should prove to be of interest to the general reader as well as to specialists in the field. … Furthermore, it explores the political connotations of Austen’s works in the twentieth century and is the initial book to include a survey and consideration of Austen fans in the twenty-first century.” (Glenda Hudson, International Journal of English Studies, Vol. 17 (2), 2017) “The book looks at different periods and movements in the 20th century that have taken quotations and themes from her novels and aspects of her life to identify with their ideals, needs and aspirations. … The book is clearly written and well organised. ... there is much to interest the general reader.” (Pamela Whalan, Sensibilities, Vol. 55, December, 2017)