Home Resources Livejournal Feed Wordpress

Monday, February 26, 2007

New Clips from Wichita Jane Eyre: The Musical

These clips are from the first public version of Jane Eyre: The Musical as performed in Wichita, Kansas in 1996. Marla Schaffel is Jane, Anthony Crivello is Mr Rochester.

Secret Soul


'Oh God' A piece cut from the show (and new to me!)


The Proposal

Friday, February 23, 2007

10th Anniversary for Bronte Country Website

This month the Eagle Intermedia Bronte Country website celebrates its 10th birthday.

Launched back in February 1997, the Bronte Country website was originally set up by Eagle Intermedia Publishing Ltd. as an initiative to help promote theBronte Birthplace and its environs in Thornton on the outskirts of Bradford. However the site quickly expanded to include tourist information on Haworth, Bradford, Kirklees and Calderdale, as well as other places in the West Yorkshire and East Lancashire Pennines having associations with the Brontes. The area was of course already world famous for its literary connections, but the internet has proved a highly effective medium in communicating interest and helping visitors plan their travel arrangements.

Today Eagle Intermedia's Yorkshire websites attract hundreds of visitors a day from all over the world. Says Roger Poultney (Internet Marketing Consultant): "The Bronte Country website has gone from strength to strength, and several spin-off sites covering specific places within the region (including Haworth, Bradford and Saltaire) have subsequently been developed, as well as separate websites for the nearby Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and Yorkshire Coast. I have no doubt whatsoever that Eagle Intermedia's online marketing efforts have made a significant contribution to local tourism in raising the profile of the area at home and abroad, not only to the benefit of clients who advertise on the Bronte Country website, but also to the West Yorkshire tourism economy as a whole..."

This view is backed up by the website's advertising clients, which include hotels, guest houses and self-catering holiday cottages in the area. Says David Sisley, of the Apothecary Guest House in Haworth:

"I am delighted with the bookings and interest which I have received since joining the Bronte Country website. Bookings have increased, and I am receiving enquiries from all over the world because of my listing. Congratulations on the 10th anniversary, and looking forward to seeing how the site develops over the next ten years !"


These links will also be available shortly, once I have reconstructed our links, on the left-hand sidebar of this blog.

Bronte Country
http://www.bronte-country.com

Haworth Village (in Bronte Country)
http://www.haworth.yorks.com

And thank you to Dr.Poultney for contributing this news item.

Blogging in Brussels

I would like to welcome the latest Bronte blog to join us online. The Brussels Bronte Blog has just started publishing this month. Be sure to add it to you lists!

http://www.brusselsbronte.blogspot.com/

The Brussels Brontë Group was originally formed by Brontë Society members in Belgium and the Netherlands to bring together people interested in the Brontës and in the Brussels places with Brontë associations. It soon grew to include members of many different countries and nationalities: British, Belgian, Dutch, French, German and others. We welcome anyone in any country who is interested in the works and lives of the Brontës (and 19th century literature in general) and would like to know more about the history of the Pensionnat Heger (the school where Charlotte and Emily Brontë stayed in 1842-43 and which inspired Villette and The Professor), the Quartier Isabelle where it stood, and the city of Brussels in the 19th century.

The Blog provides a forum for members to keep in touch with one another, and we welcome contributions by anyone who is interested in our Group.

Jane Eyre: The Musical in Dorset


The Big Little Theatre School’s production of Jane Eyre – The Musical Drama is being staged at the Regent Centre, Christchurch, Dorset from April 11th – 14th. Tickets are available from the Regent Centre box office on 01202 499148.
For more information, read this post on the Bronte Parsonage Blog.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Bronte Spirit


Brontë Spirit is the name of a partnership between Haworth Parish Church and The Brontë Society. Its aim is to lease, redevelop, maintain and administer the School Room building, which is owned by Haworth Parish Church.

We are concerned with the preservation and restoration of this Grade II listed building in which Charlotte Brontë taught.

We are hoping to open up the building, which is situated on the other side of Church Street from the Parsonage Mueum. We hope and intend to heighten awareness of the Brontë heritage through the successful education programme of the Parsonage Museum, to develop education in all areas of the Arts, provide space for artists and crafts people and a place for local community groups to meet.

So far we are in the planning and fundraising stages.

We are going to add information to this website periodically to keep you informed, so look at it regularly to find out about the progress we are making.


To find out more about the projects, you can visit their blog at: http://www.brontespirit.blogspot.com/

The Brontë Influence

From Yorkshire Today:

THE Brontës' lives and their books have been inspiring writers, They will look at the remarkable power of the Brontës' writing and its influence on their own work.
The event, organised as part of the Brontë Parsonage Museum's contemporary arts programme, will bring together a number of writers who have acknowledged a debt to the Brontës, including Booker Prize nominated novelist Michele Roberts.
Rather like the Brontës', Roberts's writing has often been referred to as "feminist", although she has stated that it is primarily about "food, sex and God". She has won many literary prizes and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1999. Other panelists will include Patricia Duncker and Stevie Davies.Andrew McCarthy, deputy director, Brontë Parsonage Museum, said: "The Brontës' influence on other writers has been profound and it's wonderful to have contemporary writers of such prominence here in Haworth to talk about the Brontës in relation to their work. The writers who will be joining us are hugely talented."

Bronte Digest

In an effort to catch up on recent news, I have compiled one of my Bronte Digests. This should also save stress on those who receive Brontëana post through a feed (and especially Livejournal).

The Acting Company's production of Jane Eyre at Ball State University.
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Emens Auditorium
Cost: $5 for Ball State students

And in North Carolina:

JANE EYRE: An adaptation by Polly Teale of Charlotte Bronte's novel; 8 p.m., Farthing Auditorium, Appalachian State University, Boone. Presented by The Acting Company. Admission $16, $14 for seniors, $8 for students. Call 800-841-2787 or 828-262-4046.

See this post for other scheduled performances.

A glowing review of the North American DVD release of Jane Eyre 2006, praising its non-canonical approach:

[Jane]'s damaged, and this makes her undemonstrative to a fault – a bit of a pain, actually. She has to go on a journey to find her true character.
...
This Rochester is wrestling with a highly-developed dark side, losing, and rather enjoying it.

This article on muses is remarkable for mentioning dear Monsieur Heger:

A muse is used regularly by many well-known male artists. However, there are few instances where female artists have turned men into muses. The few examples include Charlotte Brontë's unrequited yearning for the married Monsieur Constantin Heger, her tutor, who became the model for Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre and for Paul Emmanuel in Villette, and Emily Dickinson's passion for her unidentified "Master" to whom she addressed some of her most fevered poems.

The times, they are a changin'? Apparently people are less interested in love nowadays:

Heather Schell, an assistant professor of writing, picked up similar attitudes when she taught a course called "Love, American Style" at George Washington University. Her female students loved to discuss the chick-lit book "Bridget Jones's Diary" and the sexual follies of Jones and her boss, Daniel Cleaver. But they were not enthralled with Edward Rochester's lengthy courtship in "Jane Eyre." Quick flings, or hookups, were okay, "but love was rarely mentioned in class discussions," Schell says.

Their favorite assigned reading? A poetry anthology called "The Hell With Love."

Science (and literature?) show that money can't buy love:

And there are precedents. Jane Eyre could only have Mr Rochester after he had lost his money and been blinded. Cathy's passion for Heathcliff deepened as he went mad and destroyed everything about him. Scarlett only loved Rhett when he was down on his luck. Could it be that there is something seriously damaged in the feminine psyche?

Friday, February 09, 2007

Multimedia Exploration of Jane Eyre in Bartlett.

When a classic novel is brought to life on the silver screen, things change. One such great book gets a through examination of its media conversions at a captivating lecture.

Plymouth State University's Dr. Gaye Gould is presenting a multimedia exploration of Charlotte Bronte's classic romantic novel, "Jane Eyre." This popular novel has been adapted to the screen several times, each with its own distinct perspective. Delve into the story and its renditions on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at Bartlett Library.


Gould has chosen clips from a variety of these movies to compare them with the novel. A movie never seems to do justice to a book, yet with over a dozen media renditions there is something that is fascinating about capturing the essence of a book on film.
The "Jane Eyre" media exploration is at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Maintenance Note

For those of you reading Bronteana without benefit of feeds, you should have noticed some changes to the format. Blogger has finally made a beta big enough for this journal, but switching over to the new system hasn't gone smoothly so far. I've managed to wipe out all of the links along the side of the page, including all of my vain attempts to provide some order to the anarchy of the archives (which are still a hopeless mess). I hope to find the time to restore the links list and etexts before long. In the meantime, there is a new visitor map, which should be fun. If you scroll to the bottom on the blog you will now see a map showing where some of the visitors are from!

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Jane Eyre 2006: Deleted Scenes

Denarios has posted clips of the deleted scenes from the BBC's mini-series. There are several clips included in each of the following:

Deleted Scenes from Episodes 1 and 2:



Deleted Scenes from Episodes 3 and 4:

Performance Schedule for Jane Eyre: The Musical

Thanks to Mrs. Dionysius O'Gall:

CHARLOTTE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
CHARLOTTE, NC US From 3/8/2007
Until 3/10/2007

HIGHLANDS RANCH JR SR HIGH SCH
HIGHLAND RANCH, CO US From 4/12/2007
Until 4/21/2007

HOMESCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS
ALTO, MI US From 4/26/2007
Until 4/28/2007

NIAGARA-WHEATFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
SANBORN, NY US From 3/29/2007
Until 3/31/2007

NOCCA/RIVERFRONT
NEW ORLEANS, LA US From 3/14/2007
Until 3/18/2007

VIEWMONT HIGH SCHOOL
BOUNTIFUL, UT US From 3/9/2007
Until 3/17/2007

WATERTOWN LYRIC THEATER PRODUCTIONS, INC.
WATERTOWN, NY US From 5/3/2007
Until 5/5/2007

WESTMINSTER ACADEMY
FT LAUDERDALE, FL US From 3/16/2007
Until 3/17/2007

Friday, February 02, 2007

Win a DVD of Jane Eyre 2006

Digital Spy is giving away three copies of the region 2 version of the new BBC mini-series:

Charlotte Bronte’s novel is brought to life in this lavish and complex adaptation. Newcomer Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre) and Toby Stephens (Edward Rochester) head up an all-star cast including Francesca Annis, Tara Fitzgerald and Pam Ferris.

After a wretched childhood as an orphan and two years of being a teacher, Jane Eyre yearns for new experiences. She accepts a governess position at Thornfield Hall, where she tutors a lively French girl. She soon finds herself falling in love with the brooding owner of Thornfield, the dark and impassioned Mr Rochester. Jane gradually wins his heart but first they must overcome the dark secrets of his past before they can find happiness as man and wife.

When Jane saves Rochester from a fire, which he claims was started by a drunken servant, she begins to suspect that she has not been told the whole story. Her fears are confirmed when Rochester’s secret past is revealed, forcing Jane to flee Thornfield. Penniless and hungry, she finds shelter and friendship in the shape of a kind clergyman and his family, but she is soon shocked to uncover the hidden truth of her own past.

Adapted by Sandy Welch (North and South), produced by Diederick Santer (Much Ado About Nothing) and directed by Susanna White (Bleak House).

As well as all four 50 minute episodes, this 2-disc DVD includes extras such as interviews with cast and crew, commentaries on episodes 1 and 4, deleted scenes, photo gallery and BBC trails.

A Brief Note About Emails Etc.

I have only just begun to tackle the emails that have built up inside my inbox (there's only 841 new messages now!). It's slow going. I hope that no one's message gets lots but if you have sent word to me and I have not replied, remind me please. I am also aware that I am behind in replying to comments as well. It is more difficult to keep up with those.

This week is going to be quite hectic. I will be readjusting my Bronte thesis proposal. I've met with my advisor who has advised me to trim it down to two adaptations. The reasoning behind this decision is that I have such a huge amount of new material I could contribute it seems wasteful to retread adaptations which have already been studied. These two adaptations will be the 2006 mini-series and the 1996-2001 musical by Paul Gordon and John Caird. (Which reminds me, Anthony Crivello, if you're reading this, I have been carrying the package I prepared for you in my backpack for months now. I WILL post it! I feel like the world's worst fan...).

To make matters more interesting, I am once again in the middle of marking essays (some of which make my brain feel like bursting and not in a good way), I have a paper of my own due monday, and I will be presenting my first lecture on thursday (it is on Dickens, monomania and class tensions in Victorian England. I only briefly contemplated throwing in a Wuthering Heights reference but I've been good about sticking to Mr. D's work).