Dearest Gentle Readers,

Here in the city of Staun-Ton, our recent days have been consumed with all manner of scholarly, creative, and theatrical pursuits. But one would be remiss to think our days consist only of work with no time for recreation. Indeed, this very evening our troupe of Shakespeareans had the distinct honor and pleasure of attending the most eagerly anticipated social event of the season – The Masquerade Ball.

The theme of this year’s ball was “But then, there was a star danced,” evoking outer space. Austen and Scarlet, the fearless and illustrious social leaders of the Ton, have worked tirelessly to transform a humble library classroom into a celestial scene, brimming with other-worldly ambiance and sparkling brighter than the heavens themselves.

The music – largely selected by the Shakespeareans themselves – allowed for an abundance of jollity and merriment, with guests filling the dance floor and raising their voices with verve and gusto.

But dancing was not the only activity in store for the evening! In true scholarly fashion, several of our guests spent a good portion of the evening engaged in a lively discussion of Shakespeare’s history plays.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the evening was the array of fashions displayed by our stylish young guests. They were encouraged to don their most “aggressively festive” garments, and they certainly delivered. Shakespeareans were spotted sporting floral summer dresses, shimmering silver disco-inspired suits, striking gothic dresses and formal wear, masquerade masks (as well as masks created with make-up), and even court jester-style motley wear. The evening was “aggressively festive” indeed.

To all those who made this evening a rousing success, I lift my hat to you. In the midst these exhaustingly busy weeks, it is most important to let one’s hair down and have some fun, and I applaud the entire company for the fervor with which they embraced the evening’s festivities.

But what other social events lie ahead for our busy Shakespeareans? Who knows? What is certain, gentle readers, is that I – the Ton’s most knowledgeable and observant author – shall be there to witness it, and share the most exciting details with my ravenous public.

Until then, I remain your humble servant,

Lady Sonnetton.