I will always come back to Villette

DC Theater Arts reviews the stage production of Jane Eyre at Classic Theatre of Maryland.

Classic Theatre of Maryland’s production of Jane Eyre is a faithful, moving adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel. Co-adapted by CTM actress Laura Rocklyn and Artistic Director Sally Boyett, and directed by Donald Hicken, it perfectly captures the novel’s gothic atmosphere and romantic entanglements.

Laura Rocklyn brings a fierce strength to Jane. She vocally protests her mistreatment, whether at her guardian for unfairly punishing her or at Rochester (Michael R. Sullivan) for suggesting she stay on as his mistress, even after the truth comes out. Even while silent, she shows great emotion; her disappointment and sadness are clear when Rochester discusses a potential suitor. By the play’s end, though, she is playful and loving, gently teasing.

Michael R. Sullivan gives a hidden vulnerability to Rochester. Initially gruff and cynical, he opens up to Jane, revealing parts of his past. He can be controlling, demanding an injured Mason (Jack Venton) not to speak to Jane while he fetches medical help. And he evades and misleads over his biggest secret until it comes out. (...)

Voice and Dialect Coach Nancy Krebs ensures the actors have distinctive, authentic-sounding accents while remaining understandable to the audience. Movement Director Sally Boyett creates several dramatic and spooky movements for some of the actors. Donald Hicken does a wonderful job as director. The actors navigate the stage and each other perfectly and capture every emotional moment. Both fans of the novel and those unfamiliar with it will enjoy this adaptation. It is an appropriate production for the month of Valentine’s Day. (Charles Green)

MD Theatre Guide reviews it too.

Jane, played by co-author Laura Rocklyn, adeptly manages to convey all ages of her character’s journey without aid of significant costume, makeup, or prop changes. Jane’s difficult childhood is conveyed in a few scenes.  [...]

This play is made for the small stage. Gone are the sweeping cinematic vistas over the moors, the imposing Thornfield Hall, and Jane struggling through the wind and rain as she escapes Thornfield into the night. The sets are bare bones. Well-choreographed actors serve as stage crew to rearrange a few pieces of furniture and turn crates into a bed, a table, and a bench. This play would make Brontë proud with its focus on the psychological drama rather than the physical. We are privy to all of Jane’s thoughts as she struggles through her world, and we witness her growth along the way.

The costumes, designed by co-author Sally Boyett, are beautifully simple, monotone garments that do not distract from the mood or the message of the play. Many costume changes take place on stage, mostly by adding or removing shawls or hats, again emphasizing the psychological rather than physical. Designed by Juan Juarez, the lighting sets the dark mood and adds to the mystique of Thornfield hall.

Rochester’s often-heard, but rarely seen, woman-in-the-attic is beautifully played by Jacey Schult. Veteran CTM actors Dexter Hammett and John Pruessner add richness to the fabric of this drama in their many parts. Nancy Krebs is great on stage in several parts as well, but also as voice and dialect coach who makes everything sound oh-so British. (Sue Tilberry)

Pepperdine University Graphic features the local production of Villette.

Through a heartfelt plot, humorous casting and eccentric lighting the Fine Arts Division Theatre Department created “Villette,” an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s novel “Villette.” The play opened Jan. 23, in the Lindhurst Theater.

“Villette” follows 23-year-old Lucy Snowe as she navigates both the social and physical aspects of the imaginary city of Villette. She encounters stern Madame Beck, played by Kayla Bryant, and timid Dr. John, played by Evan Huit, and falls in love with sarcastic Monsieur Paul, played by Spencer Williams.

“Once I became a playwright and had a few plays under my belt, I felt like I could do something hard,” Playwright Sara Gmitter said. “So, I picked up my favorite novel and figured out how I could make it a play.”

Genesis Ochoa, a junior theater and screen arts major with an acting emphasis, stars as Lucy Snowe in her second production at Pepperdine. Ochoa said she was honored to play the lead lady and was inspired by Snowe’s distinctive character.

“I have learned throughout the process [of being Lucy] how to become very headstrong,” Ochoa said. “I thank Sara and Brontë for allowing me to become a more independent and headstrong woman.”

The play addresses social stigmas such as depression and anxiety. Brontë’s novel was published in 1853, an era when mental health and mental illness were hardly recognized, according to FHE Health. Gmitter highlights these aspects of the novel in her play.

“Lucy goes through this whole period of depression that Brontë describes so perfectly, even though, when Brontë was alive, there was not a word for what it was,” Gmitter said. “But she knew what it was. She had felt it; she could describe it, and you could recognize it.”

Along with acknowledging mental health stigmas, Gmitter incorporates ideas of feminism and women’s empowerment throughout the performance. The supporting female characters, Ginevra, Madame Beck and Madame Bretton, all represent the diverse characteristics of womanhood.

“Madame Beck is what Lucy could become if she lets herself go completely down her rational, practical path,” Gmitter said. “Ginevra is what people think a young accomplished woman is supposed to be, but underneath she is so much more interesting and complicated. And Mrs. Breton is that warmth and acknowledgment that we are loved.” [...]

As “Villette” wrapped up its Pepperdine performances, Gmitter said she is preparing for a new piece of hers.

“There is another play that I have written that is waiting in the wings to find the right time before production,” Gmitter says. “But, I will always come back to ‘Villette.'” (Shalom Montgomery)

Architectural Digest lists '14 houses of famous authors that are open to visitors' and one of them is the Brontë Parsonage Museum. The short text is not without blunders.

Brontë sisters

Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë aka Brontë sisters are the inimitable, brilliant minds behind novels such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey, and more. They were a 19th century family which resided in the village of Haworth, Yorkshire in England. The Brontë sisters and their other siblings all suffered the faith [sic] of dying young, none of them made it to 40.

Brontë house now known as Brontë Parsonage museum serves to honour the writer’s work. It was in the dining room of the house where the sisters wrote their famous works. Emily Brontë describes her house and village in her book Wuthering Heights [sic]. (Tasneem Patanwala)