I’ve been
blessed to know Jane for several years. She is a godly woman with a variety of
musical gifts.
You worked
with Colonial Williamsburg (CW) for several years. Please tell us about your
experience.
I began working at Colonial Williamsburg in 1975 as a
sales associate at The Golden Ball, a silver and jewelry store in the historic
area. During those three years, I also sang for evening programs during the
Christmas season and at summer outdoor recitals.
Did you
incorporate music into working for CW?
Jane Hanson ~ right front |
I was blessed to be a full-time musician at Colonial
Williamsburg for the last 27 years of my career there. In 1983, after a 5-year
leave of absence, I sang in evening concerts at the Capitol, Palace and as a
tavern balladeer. In 1988 I was hired as a full-time musician with CW working at the Music Teacher’s Room (MTR) and then throughout the
historic area.
The work varied from day to day and season to season.
Several of us were in the ballroom of the Governor’s Palace, either performing
music or dancing as guests toured the Palace.
Each group took five minutes so in 2 hours we might see up to 20 groups
or more of school groups
and regular visitors. We might repeat that at the
Palace or at the Wythe or Geddy house. We joined forces with the theatrical
interpreters when we all became the Performing Arts department and added music
and dance to several other venues. We worked evening hours several nights a week at
Capitol, Raleigh, and Palace concerts and during busy holiday times, Carter’s
Grove and balls at the Governor’s Palace. I retired as a supervisor of the music and
dance department in 2015.
Can you tell
us about some of the interesting people you met or worked with during these
years?
I met the great opera singer Beverly Sills and Chief
Justice Earl Warren at the opening of the De Witt Wallace Museum in 1985. I sang for one of the Premiers of China and
the Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan.
What roles
did you have as a reenactor and what were your favorite and most memorable?
Reenacting began at Colonial Williamsburg in the 1980s
but for many years only a few people in CW were actual “character interpreters”
as they were called. The rest of us
interpreted in “third person” rather than “first-person”…though we dressed in
18th-century clothing, we talked from the 20th-century
perspective. My first character role was
as one of the Lady Dunmore when we started doing “Days in History”. Eventually,
I was asked to play Lady Dunmore every day.
Jane as Lady Dunmore |
My favorite assignment was to play a beautiful antique
harpsichord in the Palace and sing in the ballroom. I chatted with guests about
my Dunmore family, the house, instruments, portraits, and décor for two hours
at a time. Other days I left the Palace in a carriage to go “shop-hopping” in
town with my “daughters”. We stopped at several locations where shop keepers brought
us wares to taste or “buy”. Holiday
balls were the most fun when Lord and Lady Dunmore would greet guests above
stairs. Then later in the evening, we went downstairs and made our grand
entrance into the Ballroom. The evening ended with dancing the minuet and several
country dances.
During the summer, when I was Lady Dunmore, several
junior interpreters were assigned to me as my children. We invented activities
to act out. I eventually aged out as Lady Dunmore and was replaced by a younger
woman. In my last years at CW, I took over the role of Anne Neil, who
advertised as a music and sewing teacher during the revolution. Like all the actor
interpreters I aimed at representing the characters respectfully and accurately.
Jane as Lady Dunmore |
That must
have involved a variety of costumes. Eighteenth-century clothing can provide
some challenges. What experiences with costumes can you share with us?
Over the years I worked at CW, the costuming became
more and more authentic. In the 70s the gowns were made of a mix of cotton and
polyester and we wore none of the period undergarments. By the late 80s, we wore
shifts, stays, hoops, stockings, caps rather than pinners and more authentic
shoes, some handmade. At first, it took me
forever to get dressed every morning but gradually it became second nature. Wearing
the clothing was a privilege and helped me enter the day in character,
particularly the clothes that were made just for me. They fit so well. Long
skirts and gowns were no fun in the rain though as I was always dragging a wet
hem around, and wearing stays are definitely hot in the summer. People often
asked us if we were hot in the summer, but I can say, though I was warm,
wearing cotton and linen helped and hoops kept your skirt away from your legs.
Thank you,
Jane, for letting us know a bit about the life of a reenactor. I’ve often
wondered about how interpreters endured the 18th-century clothing in
summer.
What an amazing career!
ReplyDeleteJane has had a fascinating career, and she has a lovely voice.
ReplyDeleteSo much fun and informative!
ReplyDelete