Sit back and listen to Jane Eyre

North Jersey features a collaborative project which has resulted in an opera based on Jane Eyre.

Although both were on the faculty of New York University, township residents Louis Karchin and Diane Osen did not meet until they brought their children to a local preschool.
Their friendship blossomed and Karchin, an acclaimed composer, collaborated with Osen, a writer who works with the National Book Foundation, on various projects, the biggest of which is a new opera, "Jane Eyre," which will have its world premiere next week at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College in New York City.
The production, which coincides with the 200th anniversary of the birth of author Charlotte Bronte, is being presented by the Center for Contemporary Opera.
The opera is Karchin’s second, but for Osen, who wrote the libretto for "Jane Eyre," it is her first.
"[...]The idea of setting the classic Bronte novel to music offered both Karchin and Osen the chance to stretch their talents in a new direction.
"I was looking around for another subject," Karchin said. He considered other writers, "but I came back to Diane."
Osen [...] said "Jane Eyre" has all the right elements for a musical treatment.
"It has out-sized characters," she said, "with romance, intrigue and suspense. I also thought it would provide different pacing for Lou." Karchin was up to the challenge.
"The storyline calls for a wide range of music reminiscent of the period," he said. His score includes folk songs and lush, romantic interludes. To carry that off over the course of a two-hour opera, he said, is difficult.
It took around four years for Osen to complete the libretto, revising it as she and Karchin worked to integrate the words with the music. They knew they were on the right track when the opening act won two opera competitions, one of which was sponsored by their eventual backer, the Center for Contemporary Opera.
The final work will present a cast of nine singers, including Jennifer Zetlan as Jane and Ryan MacPherson as Rochester, a chorus and an orchestra of 34 musicians. Although he is an accomplished conductor, Karchin is passing the baton to Sara Jobin.
"It will be good to sit back and listen," he said. [...]
Performances are Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. at the Kaye Playhouse, 68th Street between Park and Lexington avenues. For tickets or additional information, call 212-772-4448 or visit www.hunter.cuny.edu/kayeplayhouse. (Harry Trumbore)

Sally Cookson's stage adaptation of Jane Eyre is being screened at several locations in Colombia today and on Sunday and so some news sites review it. From Revista Arcadia:

La acompaña una innovadora y audaz puesta en escena minimalista, donde los actores funcionan casi como un coro griego, dándole voz a los monólogos internos de Jane al tiempo que construyen los trasfondos, sea un miserable internado o una deteriorada mansión. Además interpretan varios papeles para abarcar la vida entera de Jane. Uno de los más fascinantes es Craig Edwards como Pilot, el perro de Mr. Rochester, interpretado por el oscuro pero magnético Felix Hayes. Los acompaña la banda de Benji Bower que interpreta la música en vivo, que contribuye al poder emotivo de las escenas. Una revelación crucial en la obra es acompañada por Mad about the Boy de Noël Coward, cantada por la expresiva Melanie Marshall.
La obra de Cookson es una creación original, interesante y divertida, que celebra el poder del espíritu humano y logra una digna puesta en escena de la novela de Brontë. (Ana Gutiérrez) (Translation)

From El Tiempo:

Justamente, uno de los aspectos más destacados de la producción es la interpretación de Worrall, que logra transmitirles a los espectadores todos los conflictos internos de una mujer que quiere liberarse de todos los estigmas y las opresiones de la sociedad en la que le tocó vivir.
Eso se complementa con el trabajo de un elenco que interpreta a varios personajes y que sigue una precisa coreografía de movimientos, con la que logra darle una dinámica imparable a la historia.
La iluminación, el diseño de utilería y la propuesta musical suman a esa versatilidad de la propuesta, que constantemente logra transformar el escenario en las diversas locaciones que va recorriendo el personaje central. (Translation)

BookTrib lists 'The Real Housewives of Classic Literature' and among them is

Bertha Mason (née Antoinette Cosway)
The only thing our group is missing is “the crazy one.” Well, considering the fact that Bertha, wife of Jane Eyre‘s Mr. Rochester, has been locked in an attic for a decade, she fits the bill. In the unofficial yet critically acclaimed prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s novel, Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea reveals that there’s more to Bertha than meets the eye. Her real name is Antoinette, and she’s a victim of sexist circumstance. Even though her situation is extremely sympathetic, our Classic Literature Real Housewives still need someone willing to set things on fire to get the show going, so Bertha will be a perfect fit. (Katie Hires)

Bryn Donovan offers '50 Plot Ideas from Victorian and Regency Novels' such as

2. An orphan boy falls in love with his foster sister. As an adult, he’s still obsessed with her even though she’s married to somebody else. (Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë.) [...]
11. A man believes a woman he loves is having an affair, but she’s actually meeting with her brother. (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Brontë.) [...]
27. A young woman teaching at a school abroad develops relationships with both the schoolmaster and a rich doctor. (Villette, Charlotte Brontë.) [...]
46. A young woman falls in love with her employer only to learn that he’s married to a woman he keeps locked up. (Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë.)

Book of Secrets reviews Lyndsay Faye's Jane Steele.

Finally an alert for later today from Swindon, England, as reported by the Swindon Advertiser.

'The Path of the Poor Orphan Child' - a lecture by Dr Keith Hooper
An illustrated lecture that explores this wonderful and, at the time, highly controversial novel. The lecture will explore the themes and social context of this revolutionary story of an orphan girl who dared to determine her own destiny, as well as an overview of Charlotte Brontë’s life and work.
Dr Keith Hooper (PhD) is a much respected speaker on nineteenth century literature. He has spoken at both the Swindon Festival of Literature and Westbury Festival of Arts and Music.
Where: Central Library, Regents Circus, Swindon, SN1 1QG
When: 13 October 7:15pm to 8:30pm
How much: £2.50 (£1.50 library members).