Nuance counts for a lot in TheatreWorks play based on Jane Austen's works

"I am not a historian and I am not a dramaturg, but what I am is a very nerdy and very curious actor, Le Blanc said. In my own acting career, it is probably three-quarters classical work, and I've done a ton of Shakespeare, as well as lots of adaptations of Dickens or Jane Austen. I also took ballet for 12 years, which really helps."

"The title is much more than fanciful. Building the world of the British Regency era means understanding the span of time from the early 1800s through around 1820. Sharing fine details of the period and passing that knowledge to her cast is Le Blanc's main task. Curtsies, snubs, sleights and behavior becoming (or unbecoming) of a Regency woman must pass a certain muster, because the world of the play is dependent upon dramaturgical accuracy."

"What gives the stories, and Austen's characters, such longevity (Austen, who died at 41, will have her 250th birthday celebrated during the run) is how coming-of-age stories for young women speak to all generations. She is able to capture the longing in everybody's spiritof belonging, being seen, finding love, finding relevancein such a witty, warm, brave, bold way, Sardelli said. I think every generation that encounters her stories sees their families and friends, and them"

Jennifer Le Blanc serves as the Regency etiquette consultant for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's production Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley, which opens Dec. 3. The play was written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. Le Blanc teaches period manners and details from the early 1800s through around 1820 to build an Austenian world. Her tasks include sharing curtsies, snubs, sleights and appropriate or inappropriate behavior for Regency women. Le Blanc's background includes extensive classical acting, Shakespeare, adaptations of Dickens and Jane Austen, and twelve years of ballet. Artistic director Giovanna Sardelli emphasizes dramaturgical accuracy while valuing Austen's timeless coming-of-age themes, and Austen's 250th birthday will be celebrated during the run.

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