Sophia's Sofa Chat- A Visit With Patricia

There! I have lugged out of the loft storage the last of the outdoor Christmas lights. And yes, somehow during a year of sitting undisturbed they have managed to leave their neat coils around the paper towel rolls (great idea, mom), get tangled, and turn ornery about doing their jobs and twinkling. Sigh…

Coming home to pretty holiday lights in the evening is worth it even if I don’t compete with my neighbors for that coveted award our small city gives out for the home holiday decoration contest (my brother in law, who lives on the other side of town swears its rigged- he’s competitive, nuff said).

But wow, look at the time! Make haste! Make haste! I must snag my skates (which I also dragged down out of the loft) and zip down to Fountain Park and meet my latest sofa chat guest at the Warming Building for a cup of cocoa and a coze while watching the ice-skating fun on our frozen fountain ‘pond’. Maybe she’ll let me entice her out on the ice or maybe she’ll smugly skate circles around my pitiful rusty attempts to stay on my feet (I skate once a decade these days, haha).

My guest is a book lover, lover of Jane Austen, and other shared favs that I hope to get to know so much better through our chat. She has sent me the most wonderful book recommendations and particularly a goodly list of holiday reads. Her encouragement and contributions to our shared GoodReads group, Austenesque Lovers, makes her the most delightful Good Reads Pal.

Howdy, Patricia!
Brrr, right? Come on in out of the cold. I see you found the skating rink and warming shed just fine. They have coffee or hot cocoa at the counter if you would like and I saved us a table here by the window.

Are you a winter lover? What’s winter like in your neck of the woods?

I love the first snow of the season, but after that I dislike the cold. I like the beginning of the winter, with the Holiday preparations (Christmas movies, songs, decorations, etc.) more than winter season when it is really cold (Brrrrrr)! We usually get at least one big snowfall a year that forces people to stay home and we have to shovel our way out! Personally, I am more of a spring lover. I love it when we have warmer weather and the days are longer. I confess that seeing the new plant growth and warmer weather is a big plus for spring.

Are you the type who hibernates in front of the TV with the hockey game on or with a good book or is this your busy time when you’re rarely home?

I will be busy until the beginning of January. Once it gets really cold, however, I am more of the kind to curl up with a good book but instead of a hockey game on TV, I usually have a period drama movie on with my dogs curled up beside me. Oh hey, that totally works for me. I adore period drama and need to catch up on Poldark.


Ahhh, isn't Tricia's dog a sweetie?





Do you have any fun don’t miss holiday or winter activities in your area?

If I had to choose one, the “don’t miss holiday activity” I always do is to go to Byers’ Choice in Chalfont, Pennsylvania to see a one man show of “A Christmas Carol” performed by Gerald Dickens, the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens! He narrates and takes on the personalities of all the characters, just the same way that Charles Dickens performed it! It is absolutely amazing! Whoa boy! Yes, I had no idea there was this option of enjoying the Christmas classic. Sounds like a blast.
There are other things we do as a family, too. We try to go into NYC some time in December to see the Christmas tree and maybe take in a Broadway show. We also take a day and make my grandparents’ special Christmas cookies. On Christmas Eve we go to a midnight service that ends with everyone holding lit candles while singing, just like from Jane Austen’s time! A candlelight service does strike the right ambience.

Any first-time ever experiences (food, music, activity, show)?

I went to 54 Below, a club in NYC, for the first time in September and loved it! This particular show was performances by Broadway actors who portray Disney Prince’s and they performed all different types of songs. I cannot wait to go back again.





Now, if I remember right, you have a theater job that is in full swing at the moment. I love attending plays and the world of theater so I was thrilled to know you work in one. Would you tell us any fun work stories?


When they had “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” there last year, I found out that I knew two members of the chorus from the high school shows we were in together. It was also during this same show that I talked to, and had a picture taken with, Alan Menken! *Whistles appreciatively*


Tricia With Alan Menken of Disney movie song fame


What play is showing at the moment?
Right now, “The Bodyguard” is having it’s US premiere at Papermill Playhouse! It is an exciting time for everyone!

What was your favorite play to see? Favorite to work?

When it comes to a favorite show to work and to see, there are so many and they both intermingle together!
I especially love working the kids shows and autism friendly performances at the theater. I love seeing a child’s first experience at a theatre…the way their eyes show their excitement. The theater also has special performances that make them accessible to people with disabilities such as the deaf and blind. I try to make sure I work these shows since I enjoy working with people who need accommodations. I also am a subscriber to the open captioned performances for the deaf and hard of hearing. This is what first drew me to the Papermill Playhouse as a place to work. I cannot believe it has been ten years that I have been working here! I would say the highlights would be West Side Story, 1776, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Les Miserables, Ever After, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. That makes my heart warm to know that there is a place for people of all abilities can go and enjoy a play- and work, too.
Love Thoroughly Modern Millie!!!

LINK: Paper Mill Playhouse
http://www.papermill.org/


Now I want to know about your favorite Broadway experience- show, the theater, if you went to dinner with it.



Anastasia play poster



My love of theatre is so big, that it seems when I am not working a show, I am going into the City to see shows on Broadway. I am so excited for the upcoming musical Anastasia. I saw it twice when it had its world premiere in Hartford, Connecticut. All the members of the cast are so nice!

My Papermill family and I saw “A Bronx Tale” a few weeks ago on Broadway, after it had it’s world premiere at our theater. After the show, we talked to some of the actors who had been at the Papermill – they were so glad that we came to see them!



Trish's Papermill family attending A Bronx Tale



A few weeks ago I waited in the cancellation line for “Hamilton” with my mom from noon until 6:45 one day to get the ticket, which my mom purchased for me as an early Christmas present. The seat was in the center orchestra, Row G. The experience was amazing and I recommend this to everyone to try to see if they are given the opportunity. I had been hesitant about seeing it as it is so different from what I usually like, but I totally enjoyed every minute of the show! I waited at the stage door after the performance to see Christopher Jackson, one of the last original cast members. He was leaving the show (he’s currently on the CBS TV show “Bull”). He didn’t come out that night but I was able to go back another night and saw him afterwards – he couldn’t believe that I did that! It was the best backstage door experience I ever had!


Tricia and Christopher Jackson, actor from Hamilton An American Musical in a stage door Meet and Greet!


My college roommate of two years was a drama major and she instilled in me a love of theater. She must have dragged me to every small town community theater and city theater within a fifty mile radius, and I was able to see the behind the scenes side because she worked as a stage hand as well as acting. I also got the opportunity to promote and cover the theater seasons for two different community theaters when I worked for a small circulation paper. Coincidentally, it was my college drama major roommate who made me fall in love with small town community theater.

What book that you’ve read would you love to see put on the stage?

I read a lot and often think about how a story would be performed on stage or adapted for the movies. I think that North and South, Little Women, and the Hesitant Heiress would make good stage productions.

Speaking of books, and we definitely are- can two book lovers get together and not speak of books? Haha! What are you reading at the moment?

At the moment I am reading The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James, Pride & Prejudice group read on Justjane1813, and The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen. I also am in the middle of reading Victoria by Daisy Goodwin, which I hope to finish by the time the Victoria miniseries airs in January. You can never ask me what “book” I’m reading as I usually am in the middle of quite a few at any given time! Yeah, that's me, too. Never just one in the hopper.


Have you read any good holiday or winter setting stories yet? I know I still have two holiday Austenesque books you recommended that I plan to read in December.

I just finished Christmas with Miss Austen by Laura Briggs. I hope to read more Holiday books as the month goes on, like Regina Jeffer’s Mr. Darcy’s Present.


Always curious about this...How did you come by your love of Jane Austen’s books and Austenesque/JAFF?

I remember being home sick from school when I was in 1st or 2nd grade and my Grandma, whose name was Emma by the way, had the TV on. Unknown to me at the time, it was the Colin Firth’s Pride and Prejudice. I was dozing on and off for the whole movie and saw bits and pieces of it. I remember loving the dances and costumes, and seeing the first proposal scene. I am hearing impaired and was not wearing my hearing aids at the time, so I did not hear what was going on and all I recalled reading at the beginning of the movie was the word Jane in the opening credits. I slept through the ending and I just had to find out what happened. A few years later when I asked my teacher, she thought it was probably Jane Eyre. I recall reading it and being so disappointed and not recalling anything from what I remembered from the movie.

I knew the story had to be a “classic” and started to read as many as I could, hoping that I would eventually find it. Finally, one day when I was in middle school, I was at Barnes and Noble and saw the first DVD release and recognized Colin Firth on the cover! (who would not recognize him? ;) )

I tried reading the book, but it was hard to get into her writing style. I eventually got the DVD and used it as a “guide” to help me read the book. I loved it and brought the rest of her books soon after! Once I got better with reading her style of writing, I was able to read them. I could not get enough of them and bought the movie versions of them too.

When I graduated high school, my mom took me to England as a graduation present and I got “Me and Mr. Darcy” by Alexandra Potter at the airport. On our trip we asked at our hotel about Jane Austen related sites for a side trip and they told us about Chawton House.
Here is where I found out about JASNA. I saw a brochure about the Jane Austen Society UK. I thought out loud how I wished they had one in the US and they handed me a different brochure about JASNA!
I became an annual member for a couple of years before I received the lifetime membership as a gift.

That same summer, I also began reading According to Jane by Marilyn Brant and from that time on, I have been reading Jane Austen books and variations constantly! My personal library consists of hundreds of books by Jane, about Jane, variations of her novels, time period of Jane, etc. etc. etc. :)

It might surprise some people, but I had a really low reading level compared to my classmates, at the time I saw Pride and Prejudice all those years ago. It was by trying to find the name and book version of the movie that was a key factor in why my reading level began to soar and why I am such an avid reader. Jane Austen, and her works, impacted my life in a way that makes me so grateful to her. You have a peach of a story, Tricia.

What type/types of Austenesque story really gets you excited to read it?

I love variations/what ifs stories. When I am not reading a Pride and Prejudice inspired book, I like anything Persuasion and Emma related. It doesn’t matter to me if the book is set in different time periods or settings, but I am not one for the paranormal types of books, though I do like a good ghost story!


Tricia visiting Bath with author and illustrator Jane Odiwe

When we were in England in 2013, we went to Bath and spent the day with Jane Odiwe, an author who lives there some of the time. She gave us a tour of Bath and pointed out different places that she used in her books. It was like we were actually living it and it is an experience that I will always remember!


What has been your favorite TV/movie adaption of Jane Austen’s books or an Austenesque story?

Do you want the short list or long list? Lol. Becoming Jane is one of my favorites! I’ve watched it soo many times that I lost count! It was the first movie I saw in a movie theatre that was Jane Austen related. I know it is not historically accurate, but I love the music and the dances, and the costumes are gorgeous! I am also a huge fan of Anne Hathaway and I love James McAvoy’s portrayal of his character.

Other Jane Austen related movies that I liked are, the 1983 version of Mansfield Park – in my opinion, it is more faithful to the book than any of the others.
The 2009 adaptation of Emma with Jonny Lee Miller and Romola Garai. I love everything about this adaptation.
When we were in England in 2013, we also visited Loseley Park which was Donwell Abbey in this version of the movie.
The 1995 version of Persuasion is another favorite. Out of all of the adaptations I have seen for Persuasion, this is my favorite. Our visit in 2013 to Bath made it seem all so real that I fell in love with the city even more. We even saw a performance of it in Bath by a traveling group from the United States!
And of course, the 1995 Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice! This is my favorite for SO many reasons. It has a special place in my heart since it was the movie that got me into Jane Austen and was one of the things that got me into reading. I have seen it a lot and just appreciate everything about it.


It’s getting down toward the end of the year which makes me want to look back and reflect even as I gear up for a New Year start. What were some of the best books you read this year?

There are a lot of good books that I read this year! I devoured The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor. I think I finished that in two days and I highly recommend it, especially for those who like Titanic. Edenbrooke by Julienne Donaldson is another one. She wrote a novella from the hero’s perspective and I wish she had expanded upon that. I think that The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen is one of the best books that she has written.

I also found two series of books that I think were excellent. The Everstone Chronicles by Dawn Crandall and Amanda Carmack’s Elizabethan Murder Mysteries.

As for Jane Austen related books, I would have to say it is the Subsequent Proposal by Joana Starnes and our group’s read on George Knightley Esquire series by Barbara Cornwaite and Bluebells in the Mourning by Karalynne Mackrory.

Do you have any books you planned to read this year, but didn’t and are determined to get read next year?

I was hoping to finish North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I love the TV miniseries and was hoping to read it. I also have sequels to North and South that I had found but wanted to read the classic first. I keep getting sidetracked with other books and life. I also was hoping to read Julia Quinn’s book Because of Miss Bridgerton and Mercy’s Embrace series. I put that series on hold for 2018. I thought it would be nice to read Persuasion related books during the 200th anniversary year of Persuasion.
That TBR Pile never goes away. Haha! So true!

So, now that I’ve got you nice and toasty warm, do you want to go outside and skate?

I would love to go outside and watch people skate. Unfortunately I have a balance problem and have never been able to skate. Yep, that might interfere with skating. Next time I'll drag you out to the sledding hill. Haha!

Sofa Starters
Ocean or Forest?
That is tough. Can I say both? I like being surrounded by nature when I am out in the forest, but I find that the ocean is very calming for me. I have a hearing loss, and the waves are one of the few things I can hear without my hearing aids.
Gold or Silver?
I like both for different reasons. I love the color gold, but when it comes to wearing jewelry I like to wear silver.
Drama or Comedy?
I would say I am more romance than anything else, but if I had to choose, it would be drama. I like mysteries like Sherlock Holmes and other dramas like the Hunger Games
Board Game or Jigsaw Puzzle?
Though it has been a while since I have done either of them, I would have to say Board Games, especially Checkers and Clue.
Charles Bingley or Edward Ferrars?
Charles Bingley. I like his personality better, how positive and outgoing he is. I also feel he is very honest.
Waffles or Omelette?
Waffles, especially my grandma’s recipe for them!
Laundry or Pulling Weeds?
Laundry - though I like being outside in nature, I don’t like gardening – too many bugs!

Great to have you visit for a chat, Patricia! Thanks so much for being game to my antics.



If Patricia isn’t hanging out here on GoodReads, you can find her at: Twitter LOSTfan2011