Emily in Paris (not the actual TV show)

Broadway World reviews the Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre's take on Polly Teale's Brontë.

An attractive, multi-level scenic design by director Brian Falçon, assisted by Raulie Martinez, allows for exquisite staging and composition. Martinez's evocative lighting and aural landscape denotes time and setting transitions, blurring the lines between siblings and their literary alter egos.

Teale's dramatic conceit - a seamless juxtaposition of present reality and childhood memories - makes for an engaging theatrical form that justifies the Brontës' epic narrative.

On the other hand, Falçon's ensemble is grasping at straws to shape an authentic emotional arc. Uneven performances left me craving for the utter demolition of my comfort zone, as worthy tragedies ought to do. Instead, I saw a valiant effort to indicate emotions rather than embrace a genuine connection with the characters' high stakes.

Dawn McMillan may take exception to that assessment, and she's right to do so. She plays Charlotte with sagacious authority and compensates for an ensemble burdened with equivocal acting objectives. McMillan is rooted in a previous action when she enters every scene. And we're inclined to believe where she's going as the scene occludes.

The rest of the cast is only partially up to the task. Hunter Hnat, a prodigious talent and one of the hardest-working actors in Southern Arizona, takes a brief respite from The Rogue Theatre to join Falçon's band of players. He plays Bramwell, the only brother whose writing talent and vaunted male privilege fail to live up to his promise. Addicted to alcohol and disgraced by his reckless affair with a married woman, he epitomizes the golden child who goes astray and returns hopeless and broken. While Hunter Hnat retains his vocal prowess and physical attentiveness, his pain is skin-deep, barely skimming Bramwelle's facade.

Nuance and consistency could go a long way in delivering the Brontës' haunted story. Allison Akmajian exemplifies Emily's silent eloquence with a furtive glance, but like Myani Watson, who plays Anne, the silence must be sustained with purposeful regard for the action. A ghost could do as much.

We can't speak of the Brontë siblings without acknowledging their father, Patrick, an author and a clergyman forced to raise his children in the parsonage after his wife's death. Tony Caprile has the physical constitution to delineate such a man, his voice grounded and secure. Still, in playing multiple roles without distinctive character changes, Caprile often leaves us guessing who he is once he rids of the reverend's cane.

Lastly, Elizabeth Falçon's intermittent appearances as Cathy and Bertha (two protagonists from two separate novels) are theatrical highlights of Teale's play. However, we could do without Ms. Falçon's manic choices and hyperbolic physicality. What ought to be a lyrical execution can not risk exaggeration to the point of parody.

For all its blemishes, Brontë should be seen for its poetic audacity. It boasts some impressive design elements, not the least of which is the aforementioned set design, enhanced by Raulie Martinez's lighting -- a stunning display of chiaroscuro shades and colors. It's a gorgeous sight. (Robert Encila-Celdran)

Sortir à Paris reviews Emily.

Watching the film, one thinks of Pride and Prejudice, or even The Daughters of Dr. March, whose storyline here and there picks up the twists and turns. In doing so, the film completely misses its subject. Writing is barely mentioned, whereas it should be the driving force of the story. The director prefers to film these young girls in bloom running in the rain and dreaming of beautiful love affairs, which we don't really care about. Moreover, Emily Brontë is portrayed as marginal and rebellious, which she most certainly was in reality. However, the film only portrays her as a bored middle-class girl. Nothing in her actions makes her a real "freak", as those who know her call her.

We will not make a complete list of the clichés used in the film, nor its arrangements with history(Jane Eyre, written by her sister Charlotte, and yet published the same year as Wuthering Heights, does not exist in this story). Even if we had to assume fiction, there was probably something better to tell than a romance full of clichés and instantly outdated, as we have seen the same story told over and over again in all media.

We can nevertheless salute the sets and costumes of the film, which allow an instant immersion in 19th century England, as well as the interpretation of Emma Mackey, who asserts herself as one of the talents to follow of this new generation. (Nathanaël B)

The film is also reviewed--on video--by Hawaii News Now.

Farnham Herald features the exhibition Inside Charlotte Brontë's Wardrobe at Chawton House.

Inside Charlotte Brontë’s Wardrobe, which runs until June 4, was previously on display at the Brontë Parsonage in Haworth and is an artistic imagining of what the Jane Eyre author wore. 

Historian, writer and illustrator Dr Eleanor Houghton captures Charlotte Brontë’s wardrobe in eight illustrations displayed alongside Chawton House’s treasured piece of Brontëana and contemporary fashion plates.

The exhibition places focus on some remarkable garments and accessories worn by Charlotte Brontë. There are also four illustrations of clothing worn by Jane and Cassandra Austen. (Paul Coates)

Teesside Live recommends 'The Yorkshire towns and villages Teessiders should try visit at least once in their lives' and one of them is

9. Haworth

Places which are famous for one thing often have little else to recommend. Haworth itself, however, has a fair bit to offer even if you couldn't care less about Cathy and Heathcliff.

The cobbled, steeply sloping high street is attractive and packed with decent pubs and cafes. And the wuthering moors surrounding Haworth also help hoist this village way above 'tourist trap' status. (Poppy Kennedy)

AnneBrontë.org has a post on 'The Unveiling Of The Brontë Pillar Portrait'