Charlotte Brontë the archaeoanthropologist

The Daily Collegian has an article on The Acting Company and their current tour with Polly Teale's stage adaptation of Jane Eyre.

A classic comes to the State Theatre tonight when the Acting Company performs Charlotte Brönte's well known novel, Jane Eyre.
The coming-of-age story features one of literature's most strong-willed women, and the use of visual imagery and powerful style transform Brönte's great novel into a deeply affecting drama.
Hannah Cabell, who plays Jane, said the play is a very good adaptation from the novel.
"It's more of a modern adaptation of the classic novel. It appeals to people on all fronts. If they love the novel, they get the story but also the excitement of [being] on the stage," Cabell said.[...]
"The reason it's cool for the State Theatre is that this is the real deal. These are great young actors who could conceivably be the next generation of great actors. Jane Eyre, itself, is a masterpiece -- very romantic and suspenseful," Apfelbaum said.
The State Theatre has introduced new ticket prices for their events. Now, if bought in groups of six or more, tickets are $10 each.
Cabell said she hopes the audience will experience the story along with her.
"The audience will be able to experience the classic story and see it full onstage in a different light because it's a theatrical performance not just a reading. I hope that they can take part in Jane's emotional journey in an exciting and visceral way. If you want to see a wonderful piece of theatre with great actors and a wonderful production then come see Jane Eyre," Cabell said. (Laura McCann)

If you need more encouragement, here's a brief comment from someone - sherbitter - who saw this production a few days ago.

[We] went to see the play, "Jane Eyre," performed by The Acting Company at the small (two-hundred seat) theatre at the back of Ruth Eckerd Hall. It was -- amazing. One of the best theatre experiences I have ever had. The actors did a superb job and the adaptation (by Polly Teale) was excellent. I told David (who was "offended") that I liked the play more than I like the book. 'Tis true.

Well, the novel does fare pretty well anyway :) The Australian Herald Sun comments on a 'national survey of readers conducted by book chain Angus & Robertson saw more than 75,000 votes cast online, in stores and via coupons.'

Angus & Robertson will give away copies of books from the Top 100 to people who make a gold coin donation to Mission Australia's Literary program.
Author Di Morrissey, who was No. 45 for her latest book The Reef, said readers' first books often left a lasting impression.

"It's interesting there's a lot of old favourites on the list, from Jane Eyre to Proust," Morrissey said. (Claire Sutherland)

The complete list can be seen here, but if you want to know about the Brontë-related books, here they are:

25. Wuthering Heights
34. Jane Eyre
83. The Eyre Affair

And another list. Via LitLists we have come found Erica Wagner's literary top 10 on Pulp.net. Erica Wagner is an author and literary editor of the Times.

My favourite opening line of a novel
“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.” —Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte.

And, you know, people have a way of bringing up the Brontës no matter what. Here's a letter to the Telegraph and Argus discussing something about St Mark's Gospel.

Emily Bronte said: "Vain are the thousand creeds that move men's hearts, unutterably vain".
She knew a thing or two, and never even had an MA. (Graham Tyne)

Hmmmmkay.

To end up on a lighter note, Stilicho has a post on the Wikipedia reaching half a million articles and states the following:

[M]y favorite vandalism was the person who added a bogus story to the Homo floresiensis article suggesting that Charlotte Bronte had a late career as an archaeoanthropologist and was the first to describe the species!

Here's what the old text used to say:

Homo floresiensis ("Man of Flores") is a newly described species in the genus ''Homo'', remarkable for its small body, small brain, and recent survival. (Its existence was hypothesized over a century ago by the celebrated Charlotte Bronte, but no confirmation of her theories emerged until recently.)

The reference might or might not be to Jane Eyre but let us just say: small body yes, but small brain?!

At any rate we shouldn't be laughing this hard because Wikipedia should be kept as accurate as possible but this is honestly one of the funniest Brontë-related things we have come across. Fantastic.

Of course, the wikipedia article on Branwell still displays a 'citation needed' after stating that Branwell

died shortly after, intriguingly, while standing up and leaning against a mantlepiece, purely in order to prove that it could be done.

Perhaps Branwell needed to prove that his sister the archaeoanthropologist wasn't the only sibling worth being remembered :P Because the truthfulness of both statements is about the same.

Categories: Branwell Brontë, Brontëites, Jane Eyre, Theatre, Weirdo