New Paul Gordon Website Launch

Paul Gordon has launched a new website where you can catch the latest developments on his current and upcoming musical projects. Hopefully we will hear more news of the much-anticipated premiere of Jane Eyre: The Musical in Tokyo, Japan in 2009 as well as the ongoing development of a big chamber version of the piece. Visiting the "Songs" section provides you with a small sample of music to get a taste for Jane Eyre: The Musical (along with his other projects, such as an adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma).

New Jane Eyre Adaptation at Festival

This September a new adaptation of Jane Eyre will be featured at the Guthrie Theater festival in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The play will star Stacia Rice as Jane Eyre, and will be directed by John Miller-Stephany. It runs from Sept. 8-Nov. 10.

"We are producing plays on all three of our stages year-round, and the Guthrie will be a constant hub of creativity, discovery and artistry," [artistic director Joe] Dowling said. "There will be very few dark days at the Guthrie this season."

Alan Stanford's new adaptation of "Jane Eyre" opens the season in September. Twin Cities actor Stacia Rice stars in the Charlotte Bronte story.

Charlotte Brontë’s beloved tale of romance and suspense receives a new adaptation by Alan Stanford, whose version of Pride & Prejudice earned rave reviews by subscribers and critics alike. Jane Eyre accepts a position as a governess to a ward at Thornfield Manor and wins the love of her employer Edward Rochester, a kind, yet mysterious man. But soon, Jane’s love, strength and determination are tested as Rochester’s long-kept secrets are unveiled.

New season subscriptions range in price from $60 to $504. On sale May 7, 2007.

Single tickets for Wurtele Thrust Stage and McGuire Proscenium Stage shows (except A Christmas Carol) range from $24 to $69. On sale June 20, 2007. (Jane Eyre will be performed at the Wurtele Thrust Stage).

Jane Eyre the really Big Musical

I don't know how else to title this post. It is not easy to conceive a mental image of a production from a sound track alone, but there is one song from this... 'Jane Eyre: The Musical' (v. 4? 5?) the Skousen, Thompson, Kilpatrick version, that is. There is a song called 'Morton,' which consists of stanzas ending with the cry: "MORTON!" It is all very cheery, as all Jane Eyre musicals before Paul Gordon seem to be. It is entertaining enough to be enjoyable, however, which is the main thing.

Morton!

Mr Rochester's song 'It Takes a Woman' strongly recalls Victorian ideals of 'The Angel in the House': "Why are some women always right- those that are pure like an angel of light?"

Bertha has her own song: 'Sever Them.' Of all such songs, there's probably the most character development. Parts of it have a surrealness to them, but the hag-like voice ruins most of the effect.

This production has its own homepage, here.

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?

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

Jane Eyre: The Musical Touring Company

From Avid Touring Group Ltd:

You will fall in love with this lush piece of musical theater storytelling and sweeping, unforgettable melodies by Paul Gordon.



A troubled young orphan wishing for liberty and the strength to rise above the hardships of her childhood grows to learn that true love and forgiveness do indeed overcome obstacles. As an ambitions young woman, Jane soon meets the gregarious and wealthy Edward Rochester. Their destiny unfolds when a deep, secret bond grows between them. But will class distinctions keep them apart, or can their hearts beat strongly enough to bring them together? And when a darker family secret and haunting tragedy unfold, will they be brave enough for love?

Star Casting to be announced shortly.

There are, of course, no dates for the tour yet but I'll keep you posted. Thank you, jess_squirrel, for the tip!

Possible Professional Tour for Jane Eyre: The Musical and Japanese premiere in '09


Today is the anniversary of the official opening of Jane Eyre: The Musical. I thought it was fitting to share these few words from Paul Gordon, the composer of Jane Eyre: The Musical. Last week he informed his devotees that Jane Eyre is continuing its long journey... There is still hope that the show will be revived professionally for the tour circuit or concert venues:

Still discussing the possibility of a Jane Eyre tour. No word yet when it will happen but maybe 08'. There is a production slated for Tokyo in 09'.

Upcoming Productions of Jane Eyre: The Musical

Thanks to Mrs. Dionysius O'Gall for the tip!

CAPILANO COLLEGE
NORTH VANCOUVER, BC CA
From 12/15/2006
Until 12/15/2006

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

PITTSBURGH IRISH AND CLASSICAL THEATRE / PICT
PITTSBURGH, PA US
From 11/30/2006
Until 12/23/2006

STAGECOACH PRODUCTIONS
MONT VERNON, NH US
From 1/19/2007
Until 1/21/2007

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

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

Everyone's a Critic...


I cannot understand the absolute drought of Bronte news lately. All that is coming over the wire are scraps of news items from months ago, and trivia which is in no way interesting. I have come to think that theatre critics are some of the most viciously snarky people there are. This comes from a review of Les Miserables by a critic who has never liked Les Miserables:

This time I did my best to set aside my previous experiences and see the show fresh. And what do you know, Hugo’s great story rings through loud and clear. I have new admiration for Boublil, who has told this complex tale with economy and emotional directness—Schönberg is clearly the person on the creative team who rubs me the wrong way. Well, him and co-director John Caird, whose direction of "Jane Eyre, The Musical" is one of the most heinous crimes against the theater and literature that I have suffered.

And... that's it. Nothing more substantial than this, folks. My final projects should be in next week after which I will start to delve into my archives again for bloggy material until the news picks up again.

La Jolla 'Child in the Attic'

Another piece of Jane Eyre theatre history has turned up mysteriously. This is a scene from the La Jolla production of Jane Eyre: The Musical. Tiny pieces of this recording are surfacing when I least expect them to. This one is especially exciting because it is the ballad Child in the Attic which was only used for this production- and there's something peculiar about the staging...

It appears that Mr Rochester is watching from upstage left. The book she holds is Milton's Paradise Lost which plays an important role in the musical.

Upcoming Regional Productions of Jane Eyre The Musical


Thanks to Mrs. Dionysius O'Gall, here is a brief list of productions to keep an eye out for (hopefully) in your area:

CAPILANO COLLEGE
NORTH VANCOUVER, BC CA
From 12/15/2006
Until 12/15/2006

DUNDALK COMMUNITY COLLEGE THEATRE
BALTIMORE, MD US
From 11/3/2006
Until 11/12/2006

PITTSBURGH IRISH AND CLASSICAL THEATRE / PICT
PITTSBURGH, PA US
From 11/30/2006
Until 12/23/2006

ROLAND PARK COUNTRY SCHOOL
BALTIMORE, MD US
From 11/17/2006Until 11/19/2006

Jane Eyre: The Musical (2000) La Jolla Disc Two


Here are the rest of the tracks from the soundboard recording of a 2000 performance of Jane Eyre: The Musical from its pre-Broadway run in La Jolla California, starring Marla Schaffel and James Barbour. This half includes only a few songs which do not appear in the other revisions of the show, including the beautiful ballad 'Child in the Attic.' Once again, since this was made from the soundboards of the theatre the sound effects are very loud. 'The Chestnut Tree' will be known to my long-time readers as 'Rochester Triumphant.' As much as I like the show, I am very glad this was cut. It sounds like Rochester hit the jackpot at a slot machine and won a marriage to a plain, quakerish governess.

If you're new to the show, no one knows what the apricot thing is about, although there are theories. In one recording I have Rochester is always rubbing his chest and smelling his hands. We suspect that he's very scent-oriented and has picked up a subtle fruity smell about Jane which is not otherwise perceptable. And this is good since he is blind for two years of their marriage.

I have posted disc one here. And here you can read more about this version of the show.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/194hwh Secret Soul
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ennxwd Presentiments
http://www.sendspace.com/file/p3f91a Sirens Reprise and scene
http://www.sendspace.com/file/4adgvp Painting Her Portrait
http://www.sendspace.com/file/rhf6zt In the Light of the Virgin Morning

http://www.sendspace.com/file/qa8pkl The Gypsy
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ww3s8l The Proposal (Second Self)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/739gct The Chestnut Tree
http://www.sendspace.com/file/6ol3s8 Slip of a Girl
http://www.sendspace.com/file/yhetr6 The Wedding

http://www.sendspace.com/file/d8q94qScene: Bertha is revealled.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ss01t2 Wild Boy, Gypsy Reprise, farewell scene
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ifdr1g Farewell, Good Angel
http://www.sendspace.com/file/asger6 My Maker Reprise, scenes at Morton and Gateshead
http://www.sendspace.com/file/q6ibzi Child in the Attic

http://www.sendspace.com/file/jkw0umForgiveness Reprise, Morton
http://www.sendspace.com/file/d098dn A Voice Across the Moors
http://www.sendspace.com/file/x29aim Graveyard Reprise, Poor Sister
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ldu5bq Return to Thornfield
http://www.sendspace.com/file/skwjo4 Finale

Jane Eyre: The Musical, La Jolla Production

Back by popular demand is the full audio recording of Jane Eyre The Musical. The recording was made when the production was playing in La Jolla California before its run on Broadway. This version is half-way between its Toronto and Broadway incarnations and includes some songs which are not in any of the other versions. It is taking me awhile to upload these track so please be patient.

I think this recording was made in 2000, and is obviously from the theatre soundboards (the sound effects are very loud). It includes most of the regular cast with the exception that Helen is played by a little girl. It stars Marla Schaffel as Jane Eyre and James Barbour as Edward Rochester. If you're not familiar with this show, the chorus is used to express Jane's thoughts at times although the chorus includes all of the cast members (thus, we hear Mr Rochester commenting on being the unloved orphan Jane. You'll know him by his deep, resounous voice). There are many posts in this blog about the musical, but this is the my main critique of this version. Here they experiemented with the Jane/Bertha duality.

Video clips from this and other productions are available from my YouTube group for the show, here.

CD one of two:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/tf00dp (A Voice Across the Moors)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ej72oo (scene with John Reed)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/flgyie (The Orphan)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ehjyjg (Naughty Girl)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/52s5hx (Forgiveness)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/te8kxa (Helen's Death)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/qukpfj (The Graveyard)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ezihnf (Sweet Liberty)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/allz51 (Secrets of the House)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vpvlr9 (Perfectly Nice)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/q2jmem (scene in Hay Lane)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jos3fa (scene of preparing for the master)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/tos41q (The Governess)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/h3qwa6 (scene with Adele acting out an opera)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dvdh6u (As Good As You)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/tksa1l (As I Retired for the Night)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1mnfya (scene of the fire)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ldszt9 (Sirens)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/joo74r (The Aristocrats)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/km2uoo (scene with the aristocrats)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/82sbad (The Finer Things)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ya2oe2 (How You Look in the Night)
http://www.sendspace.com/file/mm1z8n (The Pledge)

After Mrs Rochester in Pennsylvania


Polly Teale's play After Mrs Rochester is playing at the Quantum Theatre at Braddock Carnegie Library, 419 Library St., Braddock, Pennsylvania Through Oct. 22; Wed.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. 7 p.m.

Identifying with her, sympathizing with her, Rhys writes "Wide Sargasso Sea," fusing bits of her own life and pain with Bronte's shadowy wretch.

Playwright and theater artist Polly Teale and the company Shared Experience imagine Rhys further into Bronte's world in "After Mrs Rochester." Scenes of Rhys' life are interspersed with scenes from "Jane Eyre." Rhys becomes a character who uses writing to exorcize her demons, but they leave her only briefly and never venture far. The "madwoman" that plagues Rhys lives alongside her, sometimes ignored, sometimes acknowledged, ever present.

Quantum Theatre stages "After Mrs Rochester" in the Music Hall of the baronial Braddock Carnegie Library. The space hovers between disrepair and renovation, modern and historic, the old and new sitting side-by-side, not always comfortably, much like Rhys herself and certainly like her writing, which is hailed now as drastically ahead of its time.

Tickets are $24-$27; $15 students. To order call: 412-394-3353.

All Your Tea Are Belong to Bronteana

It has been quite awhile since I posted about studying the Brontes. Long time readers will remember my distress when I received an acceptance from an excellent school I could not afford to attend. Well, I'm there! Thank God for the government of Canada and surprise scholarships! I've been here for over two weeks now. I believe I chose wisely. I spent the first week exploring. I could not ask for a more beautiful campus: on the first day I walked down the hill to the ocean, later I discovered a marsh on campus complete with a family of ravens, and there are plently of lovely spots to sit under an oak and write. The dinning hall is in a Victorian hall. I was let into the library which was precisely like a gentleman's study, except for the stained glass window of 'poetry and prose' inspiring a young woman to write. I even heard someone singing a 19th century art song to accompiament on the piano forte yesterday!

And there are actually books about adaptations of Jane Eyre- in the main library which has its own waterfall... I was able to compile a working bibliography of twelve sources! (An article I came across regarding the musical gave me a chuckle for how patronising it is to those who attend music theatre rather than opera). My work is off to a great start, but there are difficulties. Last night I discovered to my horror that I cannot play all of the 1973 BBC mini-series on my laptop! My first reaction was: how will I cope with not watching the repartee all year? And then I realised I also needed it for my thesis. I hauled out the other DVDs and they all work fine. This is simply one of those cruel turns of fate- I know it is.

But I hear my mother is sending me a care package with 300 bags of tea. (I was sick this past week). I also have a new text to guide my efforts to create a hypertext Bronte resource: Scholarly Editing in the Computer Age. Very exciting!

More genuinely exciting... one more hour until the BFI screening of Jane Eyre 2006!

Anthony Crivello Talks About Jane Eyre: The Musical

I have long thought it a pity that there were no substantive interviews with Anthony Crivello, who originated the role of Mr. Rochester in the Gordon/Caird musical (earning a Dora nomination- a Canadian theatre award), currently playing the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom Spectacular' in Las Vegas. With the help of his assistant, I was able to ask him a few questions (although there were many more things I wished to know!). Anthony is one of my favourite actors to play Mr. Rochester in any medium, so this was a real treat for me to interview him. Thank you, Mr. Crivello! Also, if my readers would like to hear this version of Jane Eyre: The Musical, you may listen and download it here.


How did you go about preparing for playing Edward Rochester?

It was a lovely, 'building block' process. About six months after working on the first demo I read "JANE EYRE." While reading, I searching for those characteristics in Rochester I could relate to... and envisioned (in my minds eye) location, environment, clothing ... and the other principle characters (with the descriptions Bronte described. I began to structure all while gathering the author's (Bronte) intent. I watched the films "Rebecca" (1940) and "Wuthering Heights" (1939 version.) for research purposes. Through "JANE EYRE's" work shops, "try-outs"and creative journey (which for me was nine years), I continued to build the character, with director John Caird and composer Paul Gordon's help. I researched the period, appropriate accent ( I did not want to pronounce words accented in a stilted way, and have them not match my singing... so I leaned on the standard Mid-Atlantic accent.)I researched 'blindness' and it's effect on behavior. I am 'Method' trained, so I continually try to "stay open" to the spontaneous and see where it might lead me. That lead to some lovely character discovery along the way.

What are your thoughts on the character?

Rochester is of the best characters I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I am very proud of my work on the piece, both on stage and on the album. To this day, I still receive comments about my work in "JANE EYRE" which is a gratifying blessing. Rochester is complex: brooding, humble, arrogant, romantic, heartbroken, intelligent, passionate, funny, tortured, bombastic... all put to beautiful melody, lyrics and dialogue. What more can an actor ask for in a role?

What were some of the challenges of playing the role?

No challenges. Just a day to day delight in the journey of discovery.If there was any challenge, it was balancing the long journey in seeing the piece finally come to creative fruition with my home life. And with the demands of being a stage actor... life on the road proves to be difficult on the personal. It requires a sacrificing, and a continuous search for inner Peace. Great fodder for making Rochester real... but not so delightful in the day to day grind.

Did you have any specific sources of inspiration?

Many. My heroes are of the common ... I think those who are fortunate and perceptive enough to experience life's ups and downs, and wake up wiser are inspiring. I have been lucky to have great teachers and interesting, creative friends... many of whom are so much smarter then me. I try my best to listen when they speak, and ask probing questions.

You were involved with the production at a very early stage. Were there any changes to the interpretation and development of the character of Rochester over that time?

It just kept evolving. 'Rochester' somehow stood his ground... so the character lead the way.But I have to say, in it's early stages, the "JANE EYRE" we did in Wichita, KS. still merits in it's purity of heart. It was just as loving, just as heartbreaking. The simplistic story telling done at that stage was piercing. Also, I always loved touches like Brocklehurst singing "Naughty Girl" as a solo.To me, it was much more effective, much more defining, and frightening. Also, very early on... had the pleasure of singing early demos opposite Ms. Sally Dworski as 'Jane.' Sally is blessed with a nightingale's voice. Pure, clean, sweet... it just disarms you. I wish you had the pleasure of hearing those very early demos. They were delightful.

Why did you leave the show after its Toronto run?

See http://imdb.com/name/nm0188266/ for the answer.

What are some of your favorite memories of Jane Eyre?

Aaaaaahhhh.... a very easy question to answer. Taking all the "Lowood School" girls out to The Golden Griddle in Toronto for pancakes. I treated about ten of them to "late breakfast' between shows on a Saturday matinee day. It remains a wonderful memory. They were a delightful, mischievous group, as were Wichita young ladies.

Do you remember any fun on-stage blooper stories you can share?

Please... I would only embarrass myself and damage my 'sterling reputation.' Suffice it to say 'the Gypsy' was a lot more mischievous 'beneath the cape' than what appeared to the audiences. ( Crivello says with a wink and a smile... I can't give my entire 'Secret Soul' away!)

Let me conclude by saying the entire journey was a joy. I was very fortunate to have worked with some wonderful, talented cast members, both in Wichita and Toronto.... and even prior to those performance cities with the early demos. Our crews in both locations were supportive, and caring. We were supported by producers who believed in the show. My experiences with Kathy Haupman and Laura Bergquist in Wichita, KS. and David and Ed Mirvish in Toronto were professional, generous and most appreciated. Our creative team was completely devoted to the project, and I believe their work was splendid indeed. I hope one day to have an additional relationship with what I believe to be a lovely piece of theater, and a beautiful story.

Jane Eyre at Edmonton Fringe Festival

The headline of the review is slightly misleading: the show was nominated for several Tony awards, not just the one.

With Jane Eyre HHH (Stage 5, King Edward school), we get to see a Broadway musical that picked up a 2000 Tony nomination for its Paul Gordon score, a version of the groundbreaking 1847 Charlotte Bronte novel. If director Ryan hadn't taught us that the musical theatre trolls widely for its literary provenance, this would seem, on the surface, like an improbable source: a complex Victorian narrative heavy on exposition. Even if the results are mixed, it is fascinating to see what music brings to an enterprise that travels widely through the years, event-filled. No accident that Brit director John Caird, who wrote the book, is one of the Les Miz team.
What turns out to be a natural fit for people bursting into song is the wincing chemical combination of the repressed and the luridly melodramatic, in the lush tale of the plain and plain-
spoken orphan who overcomes her harsh upbringing and the brutal class system to prevail, a feminist scenario if there ever was one.
In truth, it all seems a little schematic, and the production sketchy, as we fly through Jane's tumultuous biography en route to the headliner: the love story of Jane and the mysteriously moody Edward Rochester, interrupted by occasional appearances from the lunatic upstairs lodger.
Gordon's songs, which veer from the gently melancholic ("there is a fever on my brow and I fear the time has come...") to the climactic pop(ish) anthem Brave Enough For Love, are proficient without being memorable. But the production is welcome on its own behalf, and a talent scout's delight. In addition to her luminous voice, Nicole Rowley brings intelligence and coiled tension to her role as Jane. The dithery half-deaf housekeeper, played by Myla Southward, gets the show's wittiest number. Cody Michie possesses vocal chops; youth and bearing conspire against his creating a complex, enigmatic, haunted Rochester. The choral moments reverberate.

Ruth Wilson on Jane Eyre

At last, a wonderful interview with our new Jane Eyre has come over the wire (on the 11th). And there's also a notation on the bottom of the article with a little more information on the air date in the UK. The series will be airing on BBC One in late September! Here are some excerpts from the interview with Ruth Wilson:

The 24-year-old won the role late last year, having only graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in July.
At the time she had just one professional credit, as seductive Jewel Diamond in the Five sitcom Suburban Shootout.
And because most of the parts she was being put up for were similarly glamorous, she approached the Jane Eyre audition considering herself barely suitable for the role of the dowdy governess from Charlotte Bronte's 19th Century novel.
"But then I read the script and the script was amazing... so honest, natural and real," she says.
"It was kind of the first script that I felt really at ease with. When I was at the audition it just came so naturally to me."
I just felt really humble saying, 'I'm Ruth Wilson, I'm playing Jane Eyre' She adds: "She's a complex, amazing character - it's a gift to be given really on your second job."
Wilson admits she was "a bit in shock" when she was told she would be joining a stellar cast including Toby Stephens, Francesca Annis, Pam Ferris and Tara Fitzgerald.
"I didn't quite believe it for a while. The first people I phoned up were my mum and dad, who were very chuffed and sort of screaming down the phone, more excited than I was."

[...]

But the most nerve-wracking moment was when she first joined the rest of the cast and crew for the script read-through.
"It's everyone in this big room: BBC execs; casting directors; most of the crew; people who I've got no idea who they are. There's just 60, 70 people in a room.
"The worst thing was going round the room saying what you are doing - I just felt really humble saying, 'I'm Ruth Wilson, I'm playing Jane Eyre.'"
Just as she sensed that all eyes that day would be on the unknown actress in the starring role, Wilson is aware that critics' eyes will be too.
"They're not going to ignore me," she says.
"You wish for these roles, but you know that it's going to be judged on every level."
Star struck
With almost all her previous experience in the theatre, Wilson admits that she is still learning how to act for the screen.
"I really enjoyed the experience, I got so much out of it and I can only get better, I know I can.
"Whatever the critics say, they say - there's no point worrying too much about it."
Since completing filming in June, Wilson has immediately noticed the positive effect of the addition of Jane Eyre to her CV.
"I am going to better auditions," she says.
"People are starting to see me when they wouldn't have done before - suddenly you have done a big show and you have got a bit more standing."
She adds: "Suddenly I'm going to an audition and it's like, 'There's Tamsin Greig, I'm going to an audition with her,' and getting really star struck by people around me in the audition room."

New Chairman Has Strong Opinions



The following is an article by Diane Benn, PR consultant of the Bronte Society who kindly sent us the release:

Richard Wilcocks, the new Chairman of the Brontë Society, has strong opinions on the way that classic literature is taught in English schools.
Recently-elected by the Council of the Brontë Society, which runs the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, Yorkshire, Richard Wilcocks said, "Young people are given insufficient time in the classroom for in-depth study of texts. This is often in spite of the best efforts of teachers."
Mr Wilcocks should know what he is talking about, because for many years he worked in the world of education, as a teacher and as an examiner with the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance. He has also been a journalist, has lectured for the British Council at the University of Poznan in Poland and, amongst other qualifications, possesses a Master’s in Drama and Theatre Arts.
Strong interests apart from the Brontës include the theatre and music - he sings with the Leeds Festival Chorus. A family man, he lives in Leeds. He continued:
"Many more people are drawn towards the Brontës by forces outside schools, for example by new adaptations of novels like Jane Eyre by the BBC.
"A series of Government initiatives in schools - with the admirable objective of improving standards of literacy - has led to a situation in which love of reading and literature generally is being rather neglected in favour of a rigid ‘framework’ approach.
/…….
"For at least the last decade the definition of English as a subject has been increasingly prescribed. The emphasis on capital L Literacy is becoming a significant encroachment on English as a creative and humanistic domain, because it does not appear to give more than a token acknowledgement for the value of literature.
"I believe in the sharing of ‘real’ texts, whether described as classic or popular. This enables personal growth and the study of literature to come together. This sharing - through reading, creative writing and improvised drama - was the feature of the Brontë children’s early educational experiences which led to the great works which followed later.
"The forces which drove them in a nineteenth century parsonage are universal, and can be harnessed in many other environments including that of a twenty-first century classroom.
"Currently-prescribed practices in the official literacy strategy require pupils to focus on fragments of text, seldom on whole texts which might elicit a ‘whole’ response. This discourages the formation of a profound personal relationship with a work of literature.
"The best teaching is based on the stimulation of the imagination, of course, and teachers can get plenty of advice on that from the Parsonage, which is rapidly developing into a regional centre for the Arts."

Mr. Wilcocks is also the editor of the Bronte Parsonage Blog.

Highlights of Upcoming Productions of Jane Eyre

Thanks to Mrs. Dionysius O'Gall for the tip. These are highlights of upcoming productions of Jane Eyre: The Musical.

CAPILANO COLLEGE
NORTH VANCOUVER, BC CA From 12/15/2006
Until 12/15/2006

COLLEGE LIGHT OPERA COMPANY
OBERLIN, OH US From 7/18/2006
Until 7/22/2006

DUNDALK COMMUNITY COLLEGE THEATRE
BALTIMORE, MD US From 11/3/2006
Until 11/12/2006

GRANT MACEWAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
EDMONDTON, AB CA From 8/18/2006
Until 8/26/2006

PITTSBURGH IRISH AND CLASSICAL THEATRE / PICT
PITTSBURGH, PA US From 11/30/2006
Until 12/23/2006

ROLAND PARK COUNTRY SCHOOL
BALTIMORE, MD US From 11/17/2006
Until 11/19/2006

TAPROOT THEATRE COMPANY
SEATTLE, WA US From 8/25/2006
Until 8/26/2006