Passport to the Regency Era

PASSPORT PASSEPORT PASAPORTE

Suffolk, Virginia

EVENT DATES August 28–November 15, 2021

EVENT LOCATIONS Suffolk Visitor Center Pavilion Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts Knotts Coffee Company Suffolk Art Gallery North Suffolk Libraray Chuckatuck Library True Growf <<<<< PASSPORT < TO < THE < REGENCY ERA <<<<<<<< 28 << AUGUST << TO << 15 << NOVEMBER << 2021<<<<<

In the wake of the worldwide success of Netflix’s popular Bridgerton series, several Suffolk community organizations have partnered for Passport to the Regency Era, a series of events and activities focusing on the culture of the early 19th century (1811-1820). Event partners include the Regency Society of Virginia, Stillwater Tea House, Suffolk Art Gallery, Suffolk Art League, Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society, Suffolk Public Library, and Suffolk Tourism. Passport to the Regency Era programs and activities are conveniently presented in this booklet. We hope to see you at all of them!

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Regency-Era Hat Making at the Suffolk Farmers’ Market

The Suffolk Art League will be on site at the Suffolk Farmers’ Market with an arts and crafts station with a focus on making stunning Regency-era hats.

Saturday, August 28, 2021 9am-1pm Suffolk Visitor Center Pavilion 524 N. Main Street Free Presented by Suffolk Art League

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Passport to the Regency Era

Traditional Afternoon Tea & Regency Era Fashion Show Join us for a decadent afternoon tea, provided

by Stillwater Tea House, along with a fashion show featuring historically accurate fashions from the Regency era, provided by members of the Regency Society of Virginia, and accompanied by period music. Limited tickets available online for $30 per person; price includes two savories, two treats, a scone with jam and cream, and a variety of teas to try. Guests will receive a souvenir ticket and parting gift. On-site exhibits by SuffolkNansemond Historical Society, Suffolk Tourism, Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, Suffolk Library, and the Regency Society of Virginia.

Saturday, August 28, 2021 2-4pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $30 per person Reservations required; StillwaterTeaHouse.com

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Season of Historic Romance at the Center Pride & Prejudice

Join us as the popular 2005 Pride & Prejudice comes to the big screen. Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennett meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can Lizzie and Mr. Darcy overcome their own pride and prejudice to find their soul mates? The all-star cast includes Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Donald Sutherland, Rosamund Pike, Judi Dench, Brenda Blethyn, and more. This film is rated PG and has a running time of 129 minutes.

Tickets may be purchased online or at the door.

Thursday, September 16, 2021 7pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $3 per person SuffolkCenter.org Sponsored by Suffolk Tourism

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Pub Trivia Night

Etiquette, Elegance, and Bridgerton Babes Calling all quiz masters, know-it-alls, and fans of regality for this Regencyera-themed pub trivia night at Knotts Coffee Company.

The winners will receive their own copy of The Duke And I (the first book in the Bridgerton series) and a gift certificate to Knotts Coffee Company, so gather up all your lords and ladies to form a distinguished team.

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Thursday, September 23, 2021 6:30pm Knotts Coffee Company 1500 Bridgeport Way Free; ages 18+ SuffolkPublicLibrary.com Presented by Suffolk Public Library; prizes sponsored by Suffolk Tourism

Season of Historic Romance at the Center Emma

Join us as the popular 2020 Emma comes to the big screen. Handsome, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse is a restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town. In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love that has been there all along. The allstar cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Nighy, Josh O’Connor, Miranda Hart, Johnny Flynn, and more. This film is rated PG and has a running time of 124 minutes. Tickets may be purchased online or at the door.

Thursday, September 23, 2021 7pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $3 per person SuffolkCenter.org Sponsored by Suffolk Tourism

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Season of Historic Romance at the Center Sense and Sensibility

Join us as the Oscar-winning 1995 Sense and Sensibility comes to the big screen.

Penniless Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are two sisters with very different perspectives on life and love. They must keep one another in line and give support through death, hardship, love, and friendship, in Regency-era England. The all-star cast includes Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Greg Wise, and more. This film is rated PG and has a running time of 136 minutes. Tickets may be purchased online or at the door.

Thursday, September 30, 2021 7pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $3 per person SuffolkCenter.org Sponsored by Suffolk Tourism

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Living History Family Day Experience the Regency Era

Enjoy interactive demonstrations of Regencyera life! Play period games; learn from War of 1812 reenactors, and experience what life was like as a soldier; meet a doctor, learn about medicine, and see medical instruments of the time; try English Country Dancing; and much more!

Saturday, October 2, 2021 10:30am-2pm North Suffolk Library 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road Free; all ages SuffolkPublicLibrary.com Presented by Suffolk Public Library

Presenters are from the Regency Society of Virginia. Some interactive stations will be inside, while others will be right outside the North Suffolk Library.

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Suffolk Sewing Circle Regency Era Needlework

Join the Suffolk Sewing Circle of the Suffolk Public Library and learn how to sew! In this pre-recorded intermediatelevel tutorial, you will learn how to do hand embroidery using a Regency-themed design. All participants will receive supplies needed for the class (while supplies last).

Please register online to receive your Virtual2Go Pack. You will receive notification when your Pack is available for pickup; packs on hold will be available for 7 business days.

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Thursday, October 7, 2021 7:30pm Suffolk Public Library Facebook and YouTube Pages Free; registration required to receive Virtual2Go Pack.

SuffolkPublicLibrary.com Presented by Suffolk Public Library

Silhouettes

The “Snapshots” of the Regency Era Learn the art of silhouettes and create your own at this fun workshop! Even though photography had not yet been invented, it was common practice during the Regency era to have a likeness or portrait made of a loved one.

But oil paintings were expensive and took many sittings to complete. Even watercolor paintings and high-quality sketches took skill, time, and money. For those who did not have the extra funds to spend on such luxuries, a silhouette was a viable alternative to capture a person’s likeness.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 6-8pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $30 per person; ages 15+ SuffolkCenter.org Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts

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Dining During the Regency Era Dinner time, which was normally at 3 p.m., was one of the showiest and extravagant meals during the Regency era, especially when there were guests! Supper was an evening meal eaten as late as 10 or 11 p.m. This class will concentrate on dining in the 19th century and will conclude with participants going home with a period-inspired Marzipan Hedgehog, which they will create!

Thursday, October 14, 2021 7-9pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $25 per person SuffolkCenter.org Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts and the Regency Society of Virginia

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Corsets and Context

Historical Fiction for the 21st Century Meet at the Suffolk Art Gallery for a deep dive into the career of Shonda Rhimes, producer of the hit Netflix television series Bridgerton.

Our guide is Dr. Michaela D.E. Meyer, Professor of Communication at Christopher Newport University, and co-editor of the recent volume, Adventures in Shondaland: Identity Politics and the Power of Representation.

Thursday, October 14, 2021 7pm Suffolk Art Gallery 118 Bosley Avenue Free; ages 18+ SuffolkPublicLibrary.com Presented by Suffolk Public Library; sponsored by Suffolk Tourism, Suffolk Art Gallery, and Suffolk Art League

Dr. Meyer will speak on the acclaimed television producer, her production company Shondaland, and her many popular creations, including Bridgerton. After the talk, Dr. Meyer will be available to sign her book, which will be available for purchase.

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May I Have This Dance?

Introduction to Regency Dance

Bring your spouse, your neighbor, or your best friend, and learn to reenact dances of the Regency era in a class filled with high steps, laughs, and some good old Regency Ballroom Etiquette. Men, leave your sticks and canes at the door...they are not allowed in the Regency Ballroom! This is a four-week class.

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Fridays October 15-November 5, 2021 7-9pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $55 per person; ages 18+ SuffolkCenter.org Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts

Make Comics Then

Humor and Illustration in the Regency Era Learn about the media of the Regency era and make some relevant illustrations and cartoons of your own!

Illustration, cartoons, printmaking, and other forms of print media were very prevalent in the Regency era.

Whether political or for amusement, there were various periodicals that were important to the spread of culture at the time, and since it preceded the advent of photography, illustration was particularly essential.

Saturday, October 16, 2021 10am-12pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $30 per person; ages 18+ SuffolkCenter.org Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts

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Crafts Perfect for Galentine’s Day Women and children in the Regency era spent their time embroidering, so if you really want to channel their crafty spirit, what better way than by completing an Austen-inspired craft? In this hands-on workshop, you will leave with a Regency era-inspired keepsake that you can take home and cherish for years to come.

Saturday, October 16, 2021 2-4pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $30 per person; ages 15+ SuffolkCenter.org Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts

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Haunting at Chuckatuck Curse of Frankenstein

Something horrible has befallen Chuckatuck!

Frankenstein’s Monster has taken residency inside the Chuckatuck Library!

Frankenstein, written during the Regency era

by Mary Shelley, is one of the first and most influential horror books of all time. Join us at Chuckatuck to have fun and celebrate one of literature’s best monsters. Come before sunset for family-friendly activities outside and spooky thrills inside. After dark, the terror rises and scares get more intense!

Saturday, October 16, 2021 4-8pm Chuckatuck Library 5881 Godwin Boulevard Free SuffolkPublicLibrary.com Presented by Suffolk Public Library

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Regency Portraiture Painting the Parts

In this interactive lecture, learn about the popularity of portraits during the Regency era, just as they had been in previous centuries. Two hundred years ago, a portrait was very often the only image one might have of a friend or family member and each of those portraits required the specialized skills of a portrait painter and took many hours to complete.

The production of a portrait was often a complex process, which frequently required the efforts of more than one artist, sometimes in multiple locations.

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Wednesday, October 20, 2021 7-9pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue Free; ages 18+ SuffolkCenter.org Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts

Edmond Blair Leighton

“The First Gentleman of England” and Regency Art Explore the work of “’The First Gentleman of England” through this informative and in-depth look at the Regency era master painter, Edmond Blair Leighton.

Edmund Blair Leighton (1852-1922) was an English painter of historical genre scenes, specializing in Regency and medieval subjects. Leighton was a fastidious craftsman, producing highly finished and decorative historical paintings. He exhibited annually at the Royal Academy until 1920.

Thursday, October 21, 2021 7-9pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue Free; ages 15+ SuffolkCenter.org Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts

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Delicious Mess Tea Party

Join the Suffolk Public Library as we build our cooking skills, have fun, and highlight library and community resources to broaden your horizons and make messes that end in something delicious. This time, Amy Ford from the Stillwater Tea House, will join us for a pre-recorded program on tea.

Friday, October 22, 2021 7:30pm Suffolk Public Library Facebook and YouTube Pages Free; all ages SuffolkPublicLibrary.com Presented by Suffolk Public Library

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Quilting or Creating a Counterpane in the Regency Era Quilting is the process of stitching or tying together two layers of cloth and sandwiching between a layer of a thicker, softer material, such as wool batting or down. It is very important to understand that the true definition of quilting is not the piecing together of many small pieces of different colored cloth; that activity is correctly referred to piecework. In this class, you will learn to create a counterpane.

Saturday, October 23, 2021 10am-4pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $50 per person; ages 18+ No prior experience needed Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts

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Strike A Pose

An Introduction to Regency Fashion Beau Brummell. Dolley Madison. Josephine Bonaparte. The early 19th century gave the world style icons whose names are still recognizable today. The period from 17901820 marked a revolution in both men’s and women’s fashion, leaving behind the embroidered silks and wigs of the eighteenth century for a more natural, simple form of elegance. Join us as we explore this radical transition in clothing and get an up-close view of what went into the styles of this remarkable period in fashion history.

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Thursday, October 28, 2021 7-9pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue Free; ages 15+ SuffolkCenter.org Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts and the Regency Society of Virginia

Inked Bag Workshop Make your own Inked Bag! Ladies of the Regency era used to create bags—either workbags for their sewing or an item called a “reticule,” which was the forerunner of the purse—out of cotton and they would personalize them in various ways, one of which was embroidery.

Another way was through “inking,” which was drawing a design onto the bag with a quill and ink. Fashion magazines of the time would publish embroidery and other designs, and many ladies just traced them onto their bags or even their clothing to create a quick but elegant decoration.

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 6-8pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue $40 per person; ages 15+ SuffolkCenter.org Presented by Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts and the Regency Society of Virginia

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Regency Ball SAVE THE DATE! Lords, ladies, and gentlemen: you are cordially invited to attend the event of the season! Put on your best Regency attire and dance the night away at a soirée that will be the envy of the whole ton.

Details to follow!

Wednesday, November 10, 2021 7-10pm Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts 110 W. Finney Avenue Cost TBA; ages 18+

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Book Club

Belle: The Slave Daughter and the Lord Chief Justice Join in the conversation as we discuss Belle: The Slave Daughter and the Lord Chief Justice, based on the true-life story of Dido Elizabeth Belle. She was born into slavery in the West Indies, but raised as a member of British gentry. The book club will meet for tea and conversation at True Growf (201 E. Washington Street).

Saturday, November 13, 2021 2-4pm True Growf 201 E. Washington Street Free; ages 18+ SuffolkPublicLibrary.com Presented by Suffolk Public Library; raffle sponsored by Suffolk Tourism

*Online registration is required to reserve a copy of the book; the discussion is open to all adults without registration. All participants will be entered to win a Stillwater Tea House gift certificate and a copy of the Belle (2013) Blu-Ray.

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Get Creative

Regency Inspired Watercolor Painting For this Get Creative, we will create a landscape watercolor painting of the Stourhead Estate, which was featured in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie adaptation.

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Monday, November 15, 2021 6-7:30pm North Suffolk Library 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road Free; ages 18+ SuffolkPublicLibrary.com Presented by Suffolk Public Library

Passport to the Regency Era is brought to you by: The Regency Society of Virginia VaRegency.org | 757.469.8766

Stillwater Tea House

StillwaterTeaHouse.com | 757.353.5694

Suffolk Art Gallery

SuffolkVa.us/Parks | 757.514.7284

Suffolk Art League

SuffolkArtLeague.com | 757.925.0448

Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts SuffolkCenter.org | 757.923.0003

Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society SuffolkHistory.org | 757.539.2781

Suffolk Public Library

SuffolkPublicLibrary.com | 757.514.7323

Suffolk Tourism

VisitSuffolkVa.com | 757.514.4130

Thank you for joining us!

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