May 1–3, 2026 · Oldfields School, Monkton, MD
Be the first to hear when registration opens. We'll send one email — no spam, no pressure.
It is with the greatest pleasure that we invite you to a weekend of refined enjoyment and cultural pursuits at the historic Oldfields School. A collaboration with the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Maryland Region celebrating Pride and Prejudice.
Extended weekend options begin Friday with feasting, dancing, campus activities, and a theater performance of “The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged” by Manor Mill Playhouse at the David Niven Theater at Oldfields School.
Choose from a Day Pass (Saturday lectures and activities), an overnight experience with lodging at Oldfields School, or a full Weekend Pass with Friday dinner and dancing, Saturday programming, and a Sunday garden trip to Ladew Gardens.
1 / 70
Click any session to expand and read the full description and presenter bio.
An evening of cards, a Regency dinner, and a Period Ball — a proper commencement to the weekend.
4:00–6:00 pm
Check-in
Manor Mill / Oldfields
Weekend Day Pass at Manor Mill; overnight guests at Oldfields
Shuttle to Manor Mill
Oldfields → Manor Mill
For overnight guests
5:00 pm
Whist Demonstrations and Games· Jennifer Jones
Manor Mill Loft
6:00–7:30 pm
Regency Dinner
Manor Mill
Netherfield White Soup (V); Asparagus (V) with Red Crab Sauce on the side; Chilled Poached Salmon Fillet with Cucumber Dill Sauce; Curried Chicken with Rice Pilaf; Garden Pye; Spring Vegetable Medley in Mushroom Sauce and Mash (V); Puddings: Strawberry Fool and Assorted Cakes & Tarts. Wine, beer, water & seltzers.
8:00–10:00 pm
Period Ball with Called Dancing
Oldfields Dance Studio
A full day of talks, workshops, performance & tea.
8:00 am
Yoga
Oldfields Dance Studio
9:30 am
Continental Breakfast
Oldfields Dining Hall
10:00 am
Walking Tours
Oldfields Campus
Meet at the Oldfields Office
Crafts
TBA
Escape from Rosings Park· Maggie Schmidt
Rodney — Gallery
11:00 am
Boxed Picnic Lunch
Oldfields Dining Hall and Rodney Quad
Pick up at Dining Hall
11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Emporium
Rodney Hall
11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Water Color Portraits
Rodney Hall Octagon Room
12:00 – 12:30 pm
Opening Session (all hands)
Theatre
12:30 – 1:15 pm
“Conflict Conversations in Pride and Prejudice”· Dr. Juliette Wells
Theatre
Neckerchief Stamping· Junemarie Brandt
Rodney — Art Room
Austen’s Narrative Dance· Nalani Brown
Ms. Nan’s
The Immature Prefrontal Cortex of Lydia & Mrs. Bennet· LeShawn King
Rodney — Boardroom
Thomasine Gyllembourg: A Danish Jane Austen?· Troy Wellington Smith
Rodney — Science Lab 134
Pride and Prejudice and Poetry — Versifying with Jane Austen· Dr. Tara Moore
Rodney — Library Classroom side
Sisters and Daughters: The Heart of the Novels· Carol Pippen, Ph.D.
Rodney — Science Lab 125
Dressing through a Regency Day· Ann Wass, Ph.D.
Rodney — Science Lab 121
A Respectable Distance from Revolution: Jane Austen & Martha Washington· Christina Stetler-Rodriguez
Rodney — Science Lab 124
Escape from Rosings Park· Maggie Schmidt
Rodney — Gallery
1:30 – 2:15 pm
Neckerchief Stamping· Junemarie Brandt
Rodney — Art Room
Austen’s Narrative Dance· Nalani Brown
Ms. Nan’s
Pride, Prejudice, and Compassion· Dara Friedman-Wheeler
Rodney — Science Lab 121
Jane Austen’s Romantic Tropes: From Regency Novels to Korean Dramas· Karen Sagun
Rodney — Boardroom
The Nitty, the Gritty, and the Pretty of Pride and Prejudice· Elizabeth Jane Steele
Rodney — Library Classroom side
Fox Hunting in the World of Jane Austen· Amanda Halla
Rodney — Science Lab 134
Regency Sing-a-long· Rita Baker-Schmidt
Rodney — Science Lab 128
2:30 – 3:15 pm
“Conflict Conversations in Pride and Prejudice”· Dr. Juliette Wells
Theatre
The Immature Prefrontal Cortex of Lydia & Mrs. Bennet· LeShawn King
Rodney — Boardroom
Thomasine Gyllembourg: A Danish Jane Austen?· Troy Wellington Smith
Rodney — Science Lab 134
Pride and Prejudice and Poetry — Versifying with Jane Austen· Dr. Tara Moore
Rodney — Library Classroom side
Sisters and Daughters: The Heart of the Novels· Carol Pippen, Ph.D.
Rodney — Science Lab 125
Dressing through a Regency Day· Ann Wass, Ph.D.
Rodney — Science Lab 121
Regency Sing-a-long· Rita Baker-Schmidt
Rodney — Science Lab 128
Jane Austen and the Navy· Margie Burns
Rodney — Art Room
Transformative Connections in Jane Austen· Amanda MacMurtrie
Ms. Nan’s Room
Escape from Rosings Park· Maggie Schmidt
Rodney — Gallery
3:15 – 4:00 pm
Tea
Rodney Quad
Tentative
4:15 – 5:00 pm
A Respectable Distance from Revolution: Jane Austen & Martha Washington· Christina Stetler-Rodriguez
Rodney — Science Lab 124
Pride, Prejudice, and Compassion· Dara Friedman-Wheeler
Rodney — Science Lab 121
Jane Austen’s Romantic Tropes: From Regency Novels to Korean Dramas· Karen Sagun
Rodney — Boardroom
The Nitty, the Gritty, and the Pretty of Pride and Prejudice· Elizabeth Jane Steele
Rodney — Library Classroom side
Fox Hunting in the World of Jane Austen· Amanda Halla
Rodney — Science Lab 134
Jane Austen and the Navy· Margie Burns
Rodney — Art Room
Transformative Connections in Jane Austen· Amanda MacMurtrie
Ms. Nan’s Room
“Let’s Put on a Show” — Cast & Crew Round Table· Cast & Crew of The Complete Works of Jane Austen: Abridged
Theatre
5:00 pm
Escape from Rosings Park· Maggie Schmidt
Rodney — Gallery
Group Portrait
Theatre Steps
5:15 – 6:15 pm
Capstone Presentation: “Pride and Prejudice: A Slideshow History”· Dr. Juliette Wells
Theatre
6:00 pm
Regency Dinner
Oldfields Dining Hall
7:30 – 9:30 pm
PLAY — The Complete Works of Jane Austen: Abridged
Theatre
A gentle close to the festival.
9:00 am
Continental Breakfast
Oldfields Dining Hall
Morning
Check-Out
Oldfields
After 10:00 am
Drive to Ladew Gardens
Depart from Oldfields
ladewgardens.com · 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD 21111
Friday–Sunday
Saturday–Sunday
Saturday Only
No Lodging
Saturday 12:30–6 PM
Conflict Conversations in Pride and Prejudice & History of Pride and Prejudice
Regency Sing-a-long
Easy-breezy, fun session to give you a taste of music in the Regency Period and around the Austen piano. Come prepared to sing, hum or just listen.
The Immature Prefrontal Cortex
Come and learn a little science about brain development and have a laugh at the antics of the immature prefrontal cortexes of Lydia and Mrs. Bennet in "Pride and Prejudice"
Austen's Narrative Dance
An examination of the narrative importance of dancing in Austen's novels and how a characters relationship to dance aligns with their narrative roles.
Dressing through a Regency Day
Learn about fashion and dress codes during the Regency era and what getting dressed through a typical day would look like.
Jane Austen and Martha Washington
Imagine the travails of engaging in proper society in such an improper world as post-colonial America. While Jane Austen and Martha Washington lived vastly different lives, this talk will also explore what these two important female figures had in common, as well as offer an invitation to explore digital archives of Mount Vernon and other historical sites.
Escape from Rosings Park
Are you a proper member of the Ton? You must prove your merit- and puzzle solving ability- to escape from Lady Catherine de Bourgh's salon... or else no shelves in your closets! Beware, guests can't outstay their welcome or you might have to stay FOREVER!
Thomasine Gyllembourg: A Danish Jane Austen?
In my talk, I will introduce the audience to Thomasine Gyllembourg (1773-1856), whose novellas An Everyday Story and Two Ages I have translated. Gyllembourg is said to have been influenced by Austen, as she was the first author to successfully introduce realist fiction into Denmark. Yet a study of Gyllembourg's so-called "poetic realism" can show us what makes Austen's realism so distinctive.
Transformative Connections in Jane Austen
What if reading Jane Austen is a remedy to today's widespread disconnection and depression? We'll explore how Austen defines and promotes connection in the lives of her characters and in the reader's experience with the text. From nature to creativity, to specific writing techniques, let's unpack Austen's ideas to increase connection, acquire self-knowledge, and improve overall wellbeing.
The Nitty, the Gritty, and the Pretty of Pride and Prejudice
An exploration of the nitty, the gritty, and the pretty of Pride and Prejudice.
Neckerchief Printing
Participants will have the opportunity to create a neckerchief reminiscent of those worn during the Regency period.
Pride, Prejudice, and Compassion
The Buddhist concept of "compassion," as incorporated into contemporary psychological approaches, appears throughout Pride & Prejudice, and may in some ways be the antidote to the obstacles named in the title of the book. Both compassion and self-compassion are areas of growth for the two main characters, allowing them ultimately to connect with each other.
Whist Demonstration
Whist is one of the card games mentioned in Pride and Prejudice. Learn a little of the history of this game and enjoy a few hands.
Austen-Inspired Creative Writing Workshop
Join us for a lively and imaginative creative writing workshop that brings Jane Austen's language to life! Participants will craft their own poetry using Austen's words, with guidance and plenty of fun along the way, bringing her language to life in unique ways.
Fox Hunting in the World of Jane Austen
This talk will help readers of Jane Austen understand references to fox hunting in her novels. In particular, what does the way Willoughby use fox hunting in Sense & Sensibility say about his character?
Sisters and Daughters: The Heart of the Novels
Sisters and daughters are the reason for the stories; their lives, both real and imaginary, explain all.
Persuasion and the Navy
Naval material contained information relevant to the Austen family's larger concerns including the slave trade. Some specifics appear in Austen's final novel, Persuasion.
Carriage rides around campus, period photos with carriage, dress-up room with period costumes, Regency emporium shopping, escape room, yoga sessions, whist card games, creative writing workshops, tea service, and dancing.
Comfortable accommodations at Oldfields School
Manor Mill and the Oldfields School campus are perfect historic locations to live and breathe Jane Austen for the weekend.
