Kristen: Jane Austen at A Night at the Museum

Reenacting often involves educating others-it comes with the territory! I've heard great things about the Plymouth Historical Museum, though this was my first visit. Also, I pretended to be Jane Austen! Please check out this awesome thing that you can do with your children here!

***All awesome photos in the post by Patrick Currie

Those of you with children, please pay attention. This is completely awesome and should happen for your child at least once! The Plymouth Historical Museum offers an amazing opportunity for children to literally see history "come alive" right in the middle of the museum. Here is a bit from their website:

"Kids begin the delightful evening in the lower level meeting room, where they gather and socialize before sitting down for a dinner of pizza or subs and drinks while watching one of the "Night at the Museum" movies. When the show ends, a reenactor meets them and their magical journey begins. They are greeted on the pretense of touring the Museum, but when presented with a personalized "Tablet of Akmenrah," they discover that not all is as it seems. This tablet is a recreation of the Egyptian tablet used in the movies that brings the Museum characters to life, which the children soon realize seemingly works in this Museum as well."

I would have literally given up my book collection for something like this (that's saying a lot for a bibliophile like myself). My fellow reenactors all took different roles, and the children were enthralled by every one!

For my presentation, I pretended to be Jane Austen reading, stuck on the same page for over 100 years! When I came alive the first thing I had to do was turn the page...

I explained to the children my love of stories! Also, that my nieces and nephews were absolute darlings that loved to used their imagination. So we concocted a play to act on the spot! I let the children simply call out ideas, and they were woven into the story. Somehow we ended up with 4 ghosts scaring the needles off of Christmas trees, and a dragon that set everything right. That one was a bit of a stretch, even for my overactive mind...

Of course in the end the Christmas trees regained their needles, and an impromptu dance party commenced. I reminded the children that telling stories was the most important thing that they could do. Unfortunately by that time I grew a little stiff, as the magic was wearing off! I hurried to sit down, but held my book upside down, another tragedy for 100 years more...until a sly little boy turned it right side up for me!

I'm certain the children had an excellent time! After our presentations I went downstairs to eat pizza and cake. They were all so excited-of course I had to stay in character the whole time! Seriously, ask an 8 year old to explain television, their answers are priceless. I hope I gave this little girl a birthday to remember! (And maybe created a few future Austenites...hehehe...)

~Kristen