Dorset Theatre Festival Presents THE EVER-MODERN JANE AUSTEN A Talk By Brooke Allen

Dorset Theatre Festival, now in its 41st season, announced today the return of its popular PlayTalks, a series of guest speakers who are experts in their field intended to engage and inform regional audiences in rich and varied ways. The first PlayTalk of the season will take place at the Northshire Bookstore (4869 Main Street, Manchester Center, VT) on August 18 at 6:00 P.M. The event is free and open to the public. Bennington College professor of literature Brooke Allen will give the talk, entitled "The Ever-Modern Jane Austen."

The event coincides with the Festival's production of Kate Hamill's adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Pride & Prejudice, playing at the Dorset Playhouse (104 Cheney Road, Dorset, VT) August 9 - 25.

Brooke Allen has been teaching literature at Bennington College since 2011. She has a Ph.D. in English from Columbia University. Her literary criticism has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, The New Criterion, The Hudson Review, The Atlantic, and The Nation. She is the author of two volumes of literary essays; a biography of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto; a book on travel and archaeology in Syria before the civil war; and a study of the religious beliefs (or lack thereof) of the American founding fathers. She is married to architectural photographer Peter Aaron and lives in Hudson, NY.

"These PlayTalks are how we aim to broaden the reach of our productions and engage our community in the works we present. Pride and Prejudice is a story that has been told a hundred ways, and Brooke Allen's insights on how the novel has stood the test of time are sure to do just that," said Dina Janis, the Festival's artistic director.

Dorset Theatre Festival's PlayTalks Series, supported by the Vermont Humanities Council, educates community members and upacks important questions and themes presented in the plays in their main stage season. Following Pride & Prejudice, the Festival will present Ann by Holland Taylor, a co-production with WAM Theatre in Lenox, MA, starring two-time Tony nominee Jayne Atkinson, for a limited engagement that runs August 29 - September 1. The play, about legendary governor of Texas, Ann Richards, will also be accompanied by PlayTalks on the topics of Women in Politics and Women in Theatre.

Subscriptions for the 2018 Summer Season and single tickets are on sale now. The box office may be reached by calling (802) 867-2223 ext. 101, Tuesday through Saturday, 12 - 6 pm. For more information, or to purchase subscriptions and tickets online, visit www.dorsettheatrefestival.org.