What was life really like for the servants who worked below stairs in the era of Downton Abbey?  While we enjoy an ‘upstairs’ tea, literary dramatist Leslie Goddard will take us ‘downstairs’ to experience life below stairs in the stately homes of early 20th century England.  Goddard will portray British domestic servant Margaret Powell whose 1968 book Below Stairs was among the inspirations for the popular television series Downtown Abbey and directly inspired the 1970s series Upstairs, Downstairs.

Leslie Goddard is currently an exhibit developer at Morton Arboretum. She earned her PhD from Northwestern University in an interdisciplinary field of study that covered US history, women’s studies, and theater. An award winning scholar, Goddard also has extensive experience in public programs which includes lectures at Chicago area museums and historical societies, civic organizations, schools, and retirement homes.

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