 My final assignment with my Peace in Schools mindfulness training, is to create my very own, four-hour retreat.
So I thought I’d share my process with you, so that you can create one for yourself, too! Let’s start with WHY. Why create a retreat for yourself? Well, as Peace in Schools says, “We often talk in mindfulness about giving ourselves the gift of our own attention.” What arises when we give ourselves attention? In my busy day, I frequently push thoughts aside because I need to focus on the task at hand. Nothing wrong with that! In fact, it’s necessary to function and be our best self. But I find that if I push aside, and push aside, and push aside, and I don’t create time at the end of my day to stop and give attention to those things pushed aside, Anxiety arises. Or sometimes, Frustration, frequently partnered with his good pal, Displaced-Irritation. I’m thinking of this retreat as an opportunity to invite in what I have been pushing aside. There are big changes happening in my life right now -- so I am also seeing this as an opportunity to widen my focus for a little bit. Instead of just getting through the day’s tasks, pull back. See the bigger picture. And of course, note what arises. As best I can, I’m letting go of any expectations for this retreat. I’m not expecting it to be calming and relaxing, but I’m also not expecting to start balling after examining my innermost truths. Both of those things might happen. Or neither. Regardless, I trust that I am adequate to experience whatever arises, and be okay. At least, this is what I’m aiming for. This is what I’m practicing. Can’t make any promises to be perfect. ;) But practice is what it’s all about, right? Alright. Let’s build this thing. Like any good recipe, let’s start with the ingredients. You will need:
FOUR HOURS OF TIME: My husband and I are in the midst of closing on a house, so I’ve scheduled my retreat to happen on a day that I *hope* will allow me to practice in the new house. I think that this would be a really lovely way to introduce myself to this house and kickstart our life in it. I’ve already told my husband which day it is, what room I’ll be in, and that he’s not allowed to come bug me unless it’s an emergency. Boundaries, baby! ME: I know that I’m going to want to do some mindful movement, so I’m planning on wearing something comfortable but not so comfy that I’m tempted to just take a nap. ;) I want to feel good in whatever I’m wearing. TECHNOLOGY: No tech is a little tricky because I was thinking I’d use my phone to track time. I guess this means I’m going out to get some sort of clock! I’ll update you when I do. MEAL: I’ve planned my retreat for the morning, when my mind is clearest. If you’re not a morning person, don’t feel like you have to do your retreat then. Schedule it for the best time of day that works for your schedule and your ability to focus. So! For my meal, I’ll be having a yummy lunch! I think I’m going to make a really big salad with all my favorite things. And a cookie. A really, really good chocolate chip cookie. I’m already excited. SOMEWHERE TO PRACTICE: Like I said, I’m really hoping that I’ll be able to host the retreat in our new house. But if not, I’m planning on doing part of it in my apartment and part of it at the park that’s near us. RETREAT SCHEDULE: You can see my retreat schedule by joining our amazing Patrons for as a little as $1/mo! Enso Patrons support our work every month and are an invaluable source of support and consistent income for our growing non-profit. When you join, you'll get access to tons of behind-the-scenes content that we only post for Patrons, and of course all the public stuff too. <3 Take a minute, check it out. And THANK YOU.
0 Comments
 There are SO many ways that our thoughts can “hook” us at an audition. The Comparison Hook - "She’s wearing heels -- should I be wearing heels?" The Self-Talk Hook - Both positive self-talk ("Damn, I am so much better than anyone here!") and negative self-talk ("They’re never going to cast me…") can hook our thoughts away from the present moment. The Perceived Story Hook - This is when we make up a story in our heads about what’s happening around us, that doesn’t actually have any real basis. For example, you feel like the director looks at you funny -- and your mind makes up a story in which they totally hate you and they’re never going to cast you in anything ever again. So when we get hooked, how do we get UN-hooked, and bring ourselves back to the present? We provide three ways you can practice staying grounded at your next audition on our Patreon page! You can get access to the rest of this post and SO MUCH MORE theater and mindfulness content for as little as $1/month.
And the best part is that every $ goes toward supporting our small, nonprofit company. <3 Thank you so, so much. Warmly, Caitlin & the Ensemble  Ever found yourself struggling to stay present in rehearsal?
Maybe you’ve got a to-do list nagging at you, or maybe you’re wrestling with that voice telling you you’re not good enough. Maybe there’s some rough waves you’re navigating in your personal life. Sometimes, I want to be present in rehearsal. I want to be able to let go of whatever is in my head, and connect with my partner. But I just can’t seem to get grounded. Here is a mini-meditation you can try to lovingly bring your mind back to your scene work:
Take a big deep breath, get back in there, and kick some ass. Be sure to do what you told your body you were going to do -- actually tend to yourself the way that you need when you get home! Journaling, taking a walk, meditating, jumping in the bath...all great ways of tending to arising fear/anxiety/criticisms/negative self-talk. How do you handle your Imposter Syndrome or Inner Critic when they arrive in rehearsal? Comment below! Warmly, Caitlin & The Ensemble Classes have been running smoothly and we've been creating all kinds of stories!
WEEK 2 In Week 2, we focused more on the concept of "Yes..and!" After launching into the Magical World of Fan, our ship crashed and we ended up in Machine World...once there, we found notes from the Word Elf that spelled out: Welcome to Machine World! We became a machine in order to repair our ship, and fly safely back to Earth. After our break, we decided to fly back to the Magical World of Fan, where we found MORE notes from the Word Elf--this time spelling out "Who Am I?" which prompted a game of "Yes...and" using props! In our Thursday class, we learned how to tell a story one word at a time, and received our Word of the Week, which was actually two this go-around: "Yes...and!" We finished as usual with our "Three Little Bears" song. WEEK 3 In Week 3, we reviewed what we remembered from the week previous, painted our Launch Pad and travelled to the Magical World of Fan. Once there, we discovered notes from the Word Elf that said "Beginning" "Middle" and "End." We talked about how stories have beginnings, middles, and ends, and played a game to create our own. Three hula hoops were laid on the ground for students to move between, each with a different prompt. The first was "Once upon a time there was...", then "When suddenly...." and finally "But it was okay because..." In this way each student crafted their very own story! On Thursday, we continued the Beginning, Middle, End game by adding additional hula hoops that added depth to our main character. Now, students were asked to fill in the blanks of "Who liked..." and "But didn't like..." Once each student had created their full "play", one student became narrator while the other acted out his/her story. And of course, we received our Word of the Week: Play! NEXT WEEK: We will create stories with paper puppet characters, and continue to explore more ways of telling tales! Long time, no enso. Well, that's not entirely true. I have been painting and creating enso's....I just haven't been diligent about posting them. For a while I had a nice steady routine going in the morning. And then my schedule shifted again and it all got pushed aside. Still stuns me how easy it is to let go of routine. EVEN WHEN I KNOW HOW GOOD IT IS FOR ME. Starting our "Movement & Meditation" group has lit a fire underneath me to put into words the lessons I've learned from sitting on the cushion. Meditation is a muscle. Routine takes slow growth. The most important part is being comfortable. Watching the breath, not controlling it. Today we started our Movement & Meditation class and it was wonderful to get to share those things out loud with others, for the first time. I'm looking forward to developing these ideas over the next few weeks, and seeing what happens at the end. Just as we do in meditation when we notice our mind has gone a little off course, I'm gently prodding my brain to ease back into that simple routine. Start with just sitting on the cushion. If you sit on the cushion tomorrow morning, you win. Until next time. ~Caitlin
This week in "Building Stories With Word Elf", we were introduced to The Magical World of Fan and Caitlin's invisible friend, The Word Elf. The Magical World of FAN (Fantastical Areas of INvention) is a place where you can be anyone, do anything, and go anywhere. We talked about the four rules we have to follow in order to travel to Fan, which are: 1. Have fun 2. Be Nice 3. Try something new 4. Yes...and! Each day of class, students meet on the Launch Pad to talk about what they remember from the last class and to review the rules. Then, we PUSH ALL THE BUTTONS and launch into the Magical World of Fan! TUESDAY We spent the first day creating the Magical World of Fan using the "Yes...and" game. In this game, one student comes up with something he/she thinks is in Fan, such as "A house!" The next student says "YES! and..." and he/she adds something else. As the students added these things, they would stand up to become them, themselves. Then suddenly, a gust of wind blew us in the direction of one of the arrows on the floor, and we noticed a mysterious yellow note on the wall. We found three in total. Each had a single word on it, and students took turns tracing the words on the notes. When we put them in order, the notes said "Give a gift!" This note from Word Elf reminded Caitlin of a game she knew by the same name, and so we played! In "Give a Gift", one student picks up an imaginary gift, being sure to show us the size and weight of the present. He/she presents it to the other student, who opens it and declares what's inside. Thank you's and your welcome's are exchanged, and then we switch. After playing these games, I asked the students if we ever run out of ideas. One student claimed that yes, sometimes he ran out of ideas. I asked him, "So when you run out of an idea, what happens next?" And he said, "I get a new idea." Exactly! THURSDAY At our second class, we started to talk more about who we thought Word Elf was. Thursdays are special days because Word Elf leaves us a Word of the Week, and everyone was pretty stoked for that. But before we could get there, we launched into FAN and immediately were blown in four directions to find four more mysterious yellow notes. When we traced the words and put them together, they said "What Are You Doing?" This, of course, reminded Caitlin of a game she knew, by the same name. In "What Are You Doing?", one student begins an activity, any activity at all, such as brushing teeth. Another student asks, "What are you doing?" and the first student has to name an activity DIFFERENT from their current one. Once that activity is named, the second student starts doing that activity. Another student comes to ask "What are you doing?" and the game continues. When the game was over, we discovered four tape lines on the floor, and when we fit the four notes into the lines, the shape that was created was an arrow. When we followed the arrow, we were lead to a mysterious package, and inside....was our Word of the Week! Students sat at the table with markers to complete their Word of the Week activity. Each week, students will receive a Word of the Week and a Story of the Week (on the back). The story gets a new chapter each week, and by the end of class, students will have a complete story, which they have read carefully and circled their "Word of the Week" in each one. NEXT WEEK Next week we will review some games from this week, continuing to explore the themes of "Ideas are Gifts" and "We never run out of ideas!" We will also start talking about the structure of stories, ie, beginnings, middles and ends, and learn to identify the beginning, middle and end of a story. And of course, we will get a new Word of the Week. :) See you in class! Love from, Caitlin & The Word Elf  One of our students created her own Word of the Week!  On this blog, you can follow your students' progression through our Fall 2016 "Building Stories With Word Elf" class! Each week Caitlin will post a little about what we did in class, and what's coming up in the following week. Feel free to comment with any questions, or email Caitlin directly at [email protected]. Thank you! We are so excited to have your students in our class! WHAT: Learning becomes the Most. Exciting. Thing. EVER! in this innovative class for 5 and 6-year-olds. Over ten weeks, students will explore a variety of storytelling forms with instructor Caitlin Lushington and her invisible friend, The Word Elf. Students will embrace the concept of "Yes, and...!" in sharing and creating their story ideas. Caitlin’s good friend, the Word Elf (an invisible Elf that LOVES words!) will bring each student a new word/concept each week related to the theater, storytelling and ensemble-building. At the end of the class,students will present a showcase of the stories they've created and the games/exercises they've learned to family and friends. Here are just a few of the awesome story forms we’ll be exploring: ~Clowning ~Puppetry ~Storyboards ~Movement & Tableaus ~Word-At-A-Time-Stories ~Guided Imaginative Play ~and so much more! You can follow your students’ progress through our online blog using the “Word Elf” category. Updated weekly. INSTRUCTOR: Caitlin Lushington (and her invisible friend, The Word Elf!) WHEN: October 3rd* - December 8th Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:30-4:30pm WHERE: TBD TUITION: $200 (that’s $10/class!)** *The first 15 minutes of our first day of class, parents are invited to a brief informational welcome meeting. **We never refuse a student on the basis of financial need. Please email us at [email protected] with the subject line "Word Elf Financial Help" to inquire about financial assistance and payment plans. THE MAGICAL WORLD OF FAN (The Podcast!) The Word Elf is from an incredible place filled with adventures called The Magical World of FAN (Fantastical Areas of Invention). In this magical world you can be anyone and do anything. The only rules are: 1. Have fun! 2. Be nice! 3. Try something new! 4. YES! AND.... Caitlin and the Word Elf have been on all sorts of adventures together in the Magical World of Fan. She is recording some of them and will be releasing a new one each month. Here is our first demo episode: ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORCaitlin Lushington is a teacher, director, actress and master fort-builder. She has been creating classes for children since she was 9 and has worked with a wide variety of ages, from toddlers to college students. Recent teaching opportunities have been with Enso Theatre Ensemble, NorthWest Children’s Theatre, Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts and Castro Valley Dramatic Arts Academy. Caitlin has also been a professional nanny for the last four years and has steadily learned how to blend lesson plans into fort-building days with her kids. Teaching is what gets Caitlin up in the morning and she is eager to create a well-rounded program with Enso. She is a firm believer in taking time to breathe, and the motto, "One day at a time."
There's a lot of mushy speech in this section where Liz is all, "So how did YOU fall in love with ME?" and Darcy's all "But how did YOU fall in love with ME?" and it's wonderful but exhausting and you get the idea.
Mr. Bennet lets Mr. Collins know promptly that Elizabeth and Darcy are engaged, and he advises him to start sucking up to Darcy, not Lady C---because, news alert, Darcy has WAY more money than Lady C. And the rest of them? Well:
And that, as they say, is the end of that. THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone that has followed this thing to its conclusion!! Send us a comment or a like if you'd be interested in a paraphrased version of our next full-length adaptation, ROMEO AND JULIET. So...where exactly did Lady Catherine get the idea that Liz and Darcy were a thing?
Not that they're a thing. Yet. Maybe. Hopefully. But probably not. Right? And then Dad Bennet calls Lizzie in and congrats her on schmoozing with the big D. How does HE know?? Collins. Collins wrote to Mr. Bennet saying "Hey! Congrats on Jane's engagement and I'm slightly worried about Lizzie's engagement to the big D--Lady Catherine came over for tea this afternoon and smashed all of the tea cups in the house. Seemed like maybe she was mad about something, and all she kept saying was "Elizabeth!! RAWR!!! Darcy!! RAWR!!!" I eventually figured it out....sooooo maybe can you not have your daughter marry Mr. Darcy, so that I can keep my dishes in tact?" Mr. Bennet thinks this is the funniest sh** he has ever read. Elizabeth does not know what to feel. So what does she do? YOU GUESSED IT: SHE WALKS!! And actually she ends up going on a walk with Bingley and Jane and Darcy. And when both Elizabeth and Darcy about to vomit from the cuteness eminating from the general direction of Jangley, they take a different path and find themselves alone. DARCY: My aunt. LIZZIE: Yup. DARCY: I'm so so sorry. LIZZIE: After what you've done for Jane, for Lydia, for all of us, I can forgive the occasional impropriety of your familial relations. Because mine are completely proper in every way, of course. DARCY: Of course....You know, it was for you. (breath) If you still feel the way you did last April, say so. My feelings have not changed. LIZZIE: You could say, potentially, that things have changed. DARCY: Things? LIZZIE: Feelings. DARCY: Um...so.... LIZZIE: YOU'RE AMAZING AND I ADORE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU EVEN THE PARTS THAT DRIVE ME TOTALLY INSANE AND I WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF OUR LIVES HEADBUTTING WITH EACH OTHER AND BEING STUBBORN AND STUPID FOREVER TOGETHER. Or something like that. Lizzie finds out that Lady Catherine is actually responsible for Darcy giving it one more go. On her way back home, she reached out to Darcy and told him how her conversation with Elizabeth had gone, hoping to convince him that Lizzie is a total wild animal. And she did convince him of that, but not in a bad way, and her story also hinted to Darcy that Lizzie might actually like him. Thanks Auntie. So now the only thing that's left is to tell the Bennets, and get Mr. Bennet's blessing for the marriage. This is not as easy as it might sound On the one hand, Mrs. Bennet could hate it because she hates Mr. Darcy. On the other hand she could love it because Darcy is rich. Darcy talks to Mr. Bennet. Mr. Bennet talks to Elizabeth. "I mean, he's rich, certainly. But will you be happy, Lizzie?" "Yeah, I think so, Dad. I'm in love with him." Needless to say Mr. Bennet is knocked off his rocker. He can see she means it. "Then I heartily give my consent." And it's only then that Elizabeth reveals to him the full extent of what Darcy has done for the family. Mr. B is knocked off his rocker and rolling on the floor. (not literally) The Dad-half settled, Lizzie now works on her mother. "So...we're engaged." "AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY LIZZIE MARRIED OMG OMG OMG OMG YOU WILL BE SO RICH! SO MANY CARRIAGES! GAHAAAAAAAAAAA I'M SO HAPPY MY LIZZIE, MY LIZZIE MARRIED TO MR. DARCY!!!!" Nothing to worry about there. This week's chapters were written by Caitlin Lushington. NEXT WEEK: We wrap it all up. Chapter 55 What???@!! Mr. Bingley is BACK??? I’M SHOCKED, I TELL YOU, SHOCKED. Yes, that’s right. Mr. Bingley comes back to Longbourne, alone, in excellent good humor (so….regular Bingley). He sits with the whole Bennet family for over an hour! Like talking to them and stuff! Take notes, F. Darcy. At Mrs. Bennet’s invitation, he comes the next day as well, so early that none of the girls or their mother have had time to get dressed. Mrs. Bennet flies into Jane and Elizabeth’s room in a state of disarray, curlers still in, face mask still on. Mrs. B: Mr. Bingley is here! Oh my goodness oh dear ah Jane and Lizzy: (half asleep) Ngh? Mrs. B: SARAH!!! Sarah, do Jane’s hair! Immediately! DON’T worry about Lizzy’s, for heaven’s sakes-- Elizabeth: Hey! Mrs. Bennet tries throughout the entire visit to get Jane and Mr. Bingley alone together. Eventually, true to their type, Mr. Bennet goes to the library, Mary goes to practice the piano somewhere, which just leaves Elizabeth, Kitty, and Mrs. B. Instead of acting normal and suggesting that Elizabeth and Kitty go for a walk or something, Mrs. Bennet sits their and winks at them surreptitiously for goodness knows how long. Elizabeth ignores her out of sheer exasperation, but Kitty goes so far as to say “What is the matter, mama? Why do you keep winking at me?” Bingley: What? Mrs. B: I’M NOT…winking….though now that you mention it, Kitty, dear? Did you leave your knitting in the fireplace? I thought I saw-- Kitty: What!! Oh no! (Runs out of the room) Jane [Mouthing wildly at Elizabeth] Don’t leave me! Mrs. B: Lizzy? May I SPEAK with you? NOW? Elizabeth: I…fine. [Leaves] But despite all this, Bingley STILL doesn’t propose to Jane! What is taking this guy so long? Does he not realize that he’s driving this entire family crazy with anticipation? But he agrees to come by the next morning to go shooting with Mr. B, and afterwards, comes back again for dinner. Mrs. B, more successfully this time, strives to get everyone out of the room. Elizabeth goes off to write a letter, later walking in on Jane and Bingley engaged in “earnest conversations” that breaks off as soon as Elizabeth enters the room. Awkward. Bingley says something to Jane again before quitting the room, and Jane embraces Elizabeth immediately, saying that she was “the happiest creature in the world! ‘Tis too much! By far too much. I do not deserve it. Oh! Why is not everybody as happy!” AWWWWWWWWWWWWW! What a relief! Elizabeth is overjoyed, for a number of reasons—at Jane’s happiness, at Caroline’s scheming coming to naught, the quick and easy resolution of two years’ romantic tension. Jane leaves to inform her mother of the happy occasion, and Bingley shortly afterwards returns to the room, having spoken with Mr. Bennet. Bingley finds Elizabeth alone, and offers her the sincere affections and good wishes of a brother. Believing himself to be the happiest creature in the world, and monologues in full about Jane’s perfections, leaving Elizabeth quite in agreement with him and of the opinion that he and her sister will be very happy together, perfectly suited in disposition and attitude as they are. Jane, in her happiness, looks more beautiful than ever. Everyone, in fact, is overcome with happiness, even Mr. Bennet, though he hides it better than others. Mrs. Bennet is in delight over her good fortune—two out of five! Done!—and talks for what I’m sure is hours about how she knew it all along, it could have never been otherwise, it was meant to be, I knew she could not be so beautiful for nothing, etc. From this point on, Bingley visits, if possible, even more. He visits practically every day, unless he has an engagement elsewhere. On each occasion Mrs. Bennet finds out who on earth could be keeping him away and makes a voodoo doll of said person, and stabs them repeatedly with a small needle. When Jane is able to find some time alone with Elizabeth, she informs her of the detestable circumstances surrounding London. Apparently Bingley was totally ignorant of Jane being in town at all, Caroline having craftily kept it from him. Jane: How extra of her! What a…fake! Elizabeth: I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE PROUD OF YOU EVER. Elizabeth does not mention Mr. Darcy’s interference, her own feelings on the matter being complicated, besides which she didn’t want Jane to feel ill towards him after everything he had done for them. Jane: Oh, Lizzy. If only I could see you as happy! If only there was such a man for you! Elizabeth: I don’t think I can ever be as happy as you, but perhaps, “if I have very good luck, I may meet with another Mr. Collins in time”. Chapter 56 In the morning, about a week after the engagement, Bingley & the Bennets (good name for a band) are hanging out at Longbourne when they hear the approach of a carriage. Not expecting any visitors, they are understandably at a loss as to who it could be. Jane and Bingley escape to the shrubbery for a walk (or to go make out, but obviously Austen doesn’t say this), while the rest stay to welcome their guest, whoever it may be. Suddenly, the wind begins to howl, the house creaks, the windows rattle, and the door is thrown open in a gust of wind as LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH enters the Bennet household. Austen: Dun dun DUNNNN! Elizabeth: Wtf? Mrs. B, Kitty, Mary, Mr. B: Who is this person? Lady Catherine barely nods to Elizabeth in acknowledgment of her presence; she might as well be entering her own home. She goes and sits down without a word while Elizabeth explains to her mother just who the heck this is. Mrs. B: Lady Catherine!! Oh my goodness me well, this is just, what an unexpected-- Lady Catherine: Is that thing your mother? Elizabeth: Uh-- Lady Catherine [pointing to Kitty]: And this is…one of its…progeny? Elizabeth: That is one of my sisters, yes. Mrs. B: My youngest daughter, my lady, excepting of course LYDIA, whom I don’t suppose you know has just recently been married to-- Lady Catherine: Your yard is quite small. And your windows, facing this way, the sun will be right in your eyes as it sets. Mrs. B: We never use this room and never have. Lady Catherine: Miss Bennet, there seemed to me a spot of grass in your yard that is not entirely disgusting to me. Would you mind very much going to examine it with me? Elizabeth: Yeeeeessss??? As they walk along outside, Elizabeth waits for Lady Catherine to speak, having no desire to initiate conversation with someone behaving so rudely. She does not have to wait long. Lady Catherine: Naturally you understand why I have come and are only refraining from apologizing because you are paralyzed with guilt. Elizabeth: I have literally no clue why you are here. Lady Catherine: Do not mess with me, young lady. You will find such evasion ineffectual with someone as sincere and frank as myself. I have been told that not only was your own sister to be advantageously married, but that you, yourself, were to be married to my nephew Mr. Darcy. Thinking it an excellent joke if nonetheless in very poor taste, I came down at once to make sure you knew that it was never going to happen ever. Elizabeth: If you thought it was a joke, I wonder you thought I might take it half as seriously. Lady Catherine: To make sure that such a rumor was universally contradicted! Elizabeth: Well, quite frankly, your coming here will have almost the exact opposite effect. If, indeed, such a report exists. Lady Catherine: Knowing as I do of the behavior of your family, I know it has been industrially circulated by yourselves. Elizabeth: It really really hasn’t. Lady Catherine: Can you honestly say there is no foundation for it? Elizabeth: …..Pass. Lady Catherine: I’m going to make this perfectly simple. Has my nephew made you an offer of marriage? Elizabeth: “Your ladyship has declared it to be impossible”. Lady Catherine: You could have seduced him with your arts and manipulations. Elizabeth: My WHAT? Lady Catherine: Look. I’ll make this perfectly simple. Mr. Darcy is engaged to my daughter so you could never marry him anyway. So there. Elizabeth: So what’s the problem? Lady Catherine: The engagement is not a…formal one. It was decided upon by his mother and myself in their infancy. And now you HAVE SEDUCED HIM AND RUINED EVERYTHING. Elizabeth: Okay, I didn’t do that. And even if I had, the culmination of the engagement depends upon him. If he wishes to marry his cousin, he may do so, and if he wishes to marry me, he may do so. And if I wish to accept him, I may do so as well! Lady Catherine: If you do this, you will be the most despicable creature on earth, and our family shall never acknowledge your existence. Elizabeth: A hard life, to be sure. I shall be so sad living in my big mansion with my handsome husband with no in-laws to talk to. Oh how sad. Lady Catherine: A young woman with no connections, fortune, or family of any degree, to be connected with a gentleman of such high standing—it is not to be endured. Tell me once and for all, are you engaged to him? Elizabeth:….No. Lady Catherine: Ah. And can you promise me that you will never enter into such an engagement. Elizabeth: Uh, no. Lady Catherine: Iiiii BEG YOUR PARDON. And what of your sister? To be united to the son of my nephew’s steward in a patched up marriage and the expense of your father and uncle? Is such a girl to be my nephew’s sister? “ARE THE SHADES OF PEMBERLY TO BE THUS POLLUTED”? Elizabeth: Well, now you can have nothing further to say, having insulted me in every way possible. I think you should probably leave. [MIC DROP] Lady Catherine: This—this—this! This is not over! Depend on it, Miss Bennet, I will carry my point. “I take no leave of you, Miss Bennet. I send no compliments to your mother. You deserve no such attention. I am most seriously displeased”. [Off she goes]. Elizabeth: Oh….kay. NEXT WEEK: Will Lady Catherine stand in the way of Darcy and Liz?? This week's chapters were written by Helena Fisher-Welsh, who is playing Elizabeth Bennet in our production of "Pride & Prejudice: An Adaptation."  |
