On Jane Eyre not being 'a pretty joyless novel'

Houston Chronicle reviews Alley Theatre's take on Jane Eyre.

The Alley has totally upped its game with Elizabeth Williamson’s smart and poignant adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic 19th-century novel "Jane Eyre." With a deft combination of flashbacks, monologues and stirring scenes that include intense suffering, spooky surprises and romance, Eleanor Holdridge directs a stellar cast who handle multiple roles in a seamless fashion. And yes, even the costumes are wonderful — clever pieces that fit each dramatic moment with aplomb.

John Coyne's scenic design, Alberto Segarra's lighting design and Melanie Chen Cole's sound design work well together and all are transporting, whether Jane is sitting at a desk writing a letter, or cringing in a small bed as the audience sees, hears and wonders about the odd sounds and screams that defy explanation.

Brandon Weinbrenner’s casting is perfect. Houston favorites Susan Koozin and Todd Waite don’t have the leading roles, but they have multiple important ones, and their transformations are marvelous. Watching Koozin move from sweet Mrs. Fairfax to the mad woman in the attic is something to see. Ana Miramontes is convincing playing children (no mean feat!), and Melissa Pritchett, Joy Yvonne Jones and Gabriel Regojo ably round out the cast. The chemistry of all of actors seems effortless and allows viewers to concentrate on this long-ago world that still carries emotional resonance today.

And then there is the amazing accomplishment that this play achieves: the turning of a long, detailed and sometimes dry read, which may be cumbersome and dated to some contemporary readers, into a model of dramatic efficiency. [...]

But what we also learn is that this is a character so low on the social ladder that her very desire for change is a revolutionary thought. Such governesses were not to even entertain such radical notions that “women feel the same as men do,” or that she is a person with thoughts and feelings who should be respected and considered. Brontë’s work broke the glass ceiling on the emotional temperature such women were allowed to have — and this play captures this subversive thread, even while Jane’s modesty and restraint is believably kept intact.

The play also infuses — in what is often considered to be a pretty joyless novel — a little levity and comic relief that makes the enigmatic Mr. Rochester an empathetic figure who is actually relatable (and even funny). Chris Hutchison is able to channel his talents into a role that fits him well, and let’s face it: If there is not a successful embodiment of Rochester on the stage, then everything else falls apart. Lucky for the audience, the show glimmers, no matter how intensely depressing the fog, moors and disappointments hanging around insist on being.

But here is the main thing: Melissa Molano, a fine actress who has excelled on many stages all over Houston, is superlative in the role of Jane Eyre. Molano finally has a role that allows her formidable talent to shine. She is not too mousy, never over the top. Her despair and passion is completely believable, her timing always right. Her expressions convey so much and every movement counts.

When she is speaking with passionate force, you listen. She is an actress who can make the unbelievable thought of a humble governess reaching some kind of happiness and equilibrium in a world that constantly pulls the rug out from underneath her completely believable and meaningful. And that is how you make a 19th-century novel that could buckle under the weight of despair something fresh, dramatic, relevant and inspiring on a 21st-century stage. (Doni Wilson)

We don't know which version of the novel was read by the reviewer, but ours certainly wasn't 'a pretty joyless novel'. What a silly description of Jane Eyre!

One of the Daily Mail's suggestions for this weekend is going to see Underdog: The Other Other Brontë, which gets 4 stars out of 5.

There are plenty of meta moments in Underdog: The Other Other Brontë. It is 1837 and at the parsonage in the Yorkshire village of Haworth, aspiring writer Charlotte Brontë (Gemma Whelan), older sister of Emily (Adele James) and Anne (Rhiannon Clements), is reading her reply from the poet laureate Robert Southey, to whom she has sent her poems, asking his opinion of them.

Southey is not encouraging. ‘Literature cannot be the business of a woman’s life, and it ought not to be,’ he writes. ‘He’s a bellend!’ declares Emily.

Sarah Gordon’s hilarious but ultimately moving comedy about the Brontës is a racy retelling of the sisters’ struggle to become recognised authors. Charlotte is determined to be as famous and lauded as the likes of Southey, but her ambition results in her overshadowing Anne, the full extent of whose talent was not acknowledged until long after her premature death.

The banter between the rival siblings is very sharp, there are some brilliant bits of business and much fun is poked at the prissy male critics horrified that such radical, fierce novels as Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, Emily’s Wuthering Heights and Anne’s The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall were written by women.

But Gordon also invites us to think seriously about how our view of these literary giants has been shaped, and about their battle to succeed in a profession dominated by men.

Incidentally, Charlotte really did write to Southey – an audacious move for the 20-year-old daughter of a country clergyman.

At the start of Underdog, Whelan wanders through the audience asking people their favourite Brontë novel. Everyone has an answer. How many people could even name a Southey poem? (Neil Armstrong)

People joins in the frenzy about Taylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department, by pairing songs to books.

'Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?' and 'The Wife Upstairs' by Frida McFadden

With shades of Jane Eyre, this is a mystery about a woman who’s confined to the top floor of her beautiful home after a terrible accident. When a hired caretaker arrives, we learn more about what happened to her — and the story she’s desperate to tell. (Lizz Schumer)

Oprah Magazine recommends the '30 Greatest Romance Novels to Read in Your Lifetime' and one of them is

5 Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë

By exploring themes such as religion, sexuality, and classism, Jane Eyre was a groundbreaking novel during its 19th-century release. Still revered as one of the genre's first novels, Brontë's story of the titular character, Jane, and her maturing emotions and love for her broody boss, Mr. Rochester, is one that readers still have a hard time putting down. (McKenzie Jean-Philippe)

Jane Eyre also makes it onto the list of novels to get started with classic literature compiled by The Lafayette.

“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë

“Jane Eyre” is the story of a young woman’s life as she grows up, finds love and gets placed in some absolutely wild and wonderfully gothic situations. 

This novel is not only gripping from beginning to end but also feels undyingly modern despite its 19th-century publication date. The romance plot is beyond interesting and each and every side character has such life to them, but the titular character of Jane is why this book has been loved for so long and why I think most modern readers would love this book, too.

Jane is so unapologetically herself and strong in her stance that she deserves more. Her first-person narration of her own life is what makes you love her from page one. 

I may be biased as this is a contender for my favorite book of all time, but “Jane Eyre” really is the epitome of why classics become classics in the first place: not just because a book is smart, but because a book makes you feel something. Because of that, I think it’s a must-read for anybody dipping their toe into classic literature for the first time. (Natalia Ferruggia)

Both these list-makers would also seem to disagree with Jane Eyre being 'a pretty joyless novel'.