Laura Keene, one of the first Jane Eyres

Easy Reader (South Bay, California) reviews

the colorful over-the-top comedy, “Our Leading Lady,” written by Charles Busch, [which] gives a humorous look at theater life in one of the most turbulent times of our history, at the end of the Civil War. (Melinda Calvert)

There isn't much of a Brontë connection until you get to this:

The whole cast literally sparkles with talent. Gillian Doyle gives a stunning performance as the leading actress of her day, Laura Keene. Not a lot is known about the actress’s early years or even her date of birth or real name. She came to America in 1852, becoming a favorite on the New York theater scene. She traveled the country and was best known for her contemporary work in “Camille,” and “Jane Eyre.” (Melinda Calvert)

Picture Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica : Courtesy of the Theatre Collection, the New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations.

According to the Wikipedia article on Laura Keene her real name was Mary Frances Moss. She starred in John Brougham's stage adaptation of Jane Eyre. Although the play had been first performed in 1849, the most memorable production dates from 1856, when it was 'produced at Laura Keene's Varieties, with Laura Keene herself in the main part', according to Patsy Stoneman in Jane Eyre on Stage, 1848-1898. Unfortunately, Ms Stoneman was unable to find information about the reception of this production, which would have been very interesting given Laura Keene's renown for 'personal magnetism'.

On a more local scale, Lima News (Ohio) chats to a teenager called Brittany Venturella whose passions are both writing and history.

"I write about random topics that would be of interest to students and teachers," Brittany said. "It's my way to connect with the world. I like learning about people. I feel like I have a voice. All I do is homework. I love learning, but it's not my passion. I love it when I get to talk to people and write about people. I like the feeling of the pen in my hand or of the keyboard."
Brittany is reading Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Life of Bees." She said her favorite writers are the Brontë sisters. (Pam Dunno)

And Observer-Reporter (Pennsylvania) talks about a Wuthering Heights street in the making:

Peters Township Council [Pennsylvania] granted modifications to its subdivision ordinance Monday that clears the way for a new 57-lot subdivision on East McMurray Road tentatively named Wuthering Heights. (Carla Valentine Myers)

Wuthering Heights on the blogosphere: Related Reading is almost halfway through the book, Könyvkupac reviews it in Hungarian and Mariakäfer writes about its 1939 screen adaptation in German. Meanwhile, vampirereverie has created 2,500 icon bases from Jane Eyre 2006.

Categories: Jane Eyre, Movies-DVD-TV, Theatre, Wuthering Heights