A literary ghost that refuses to rest

Broadway World reviews Jane Eyre at Orinda Starlight Village Players.

The cast of Jane Eyre is a collection of longtime thespians and some brand new to the stage. Angello Vasquez as John Reed and Noah brings enthusiasm to his roles as do Kayla Vasquez and Julia Nelson. Monica Bonnington as Miss Temple and Leah lends a gentle and solid presence. Mimi Hamilton as Mrs. Fairfax is full of warmth and goodness. Her eyes are so welcoming to Jane, yet contain flickers of concern for everyone. Laura Martin-Chapin is equally strong as Mrs. Reed and Lady Ingram. She provides a sharp contrast to Fairfax and delivers it with aplomb. Edward Rochester is a complex character, and we see a bit too much of Justin Parish rather than Rochester in his portrayal. His speech is stilted, and missing much of Rochester’s moody and sardonic nature. Still, he hits the mark in believability for his love of Jane. Carolina Ryklansky as Helen, Blanche, and Bertha was divine. These characters couldn’t be more different, and Rylansky nailed all of them. From bosom friend, to society snob, to madwoman, every moment on stage is used with intention and purpose. Quick wit, shy smiles, and heart-felt discourse mark Sophie Ruf’s portrayal of Jane Eyre. She gives Jane both an assertiveness and tenderness that bibliophiles will appreciate. With her earnestness and ease of manner, she is truly Jane Eyre. Marian Simpson as Old Jane has a wonderful voice for narration, and the audience is glad to finally meet her.

Orinda Starlight Village Players makes the most of a small budget with good decision-making and priorities. As a playwright, Malcolm Cowler condenses the hefty book into a manageable size by introducing an older Jane Eyre as a narrative voice that is used during transitions for exposition and connecting the scenes. In conjunction with the narration, projections both fill out the space and move with the narrator’s voice through the house and countryside. The projections provide detail and a grand scale to the space. The costumes by Matt Cardigan-Smith work well for the time period and were flattering. His design was especially helpful in distinguishing different characters played by the same actor. The set design by Cowler is simple and clear, allowing the projections to do the heavy-lifting. As a director Malcolm Cowler has his cast well prepared. Early performances by community groups are often marked by stalls and stops, but this performance flowed with good pacing. (Kelly Rogers Flynt)

IWM Buzz wonders whether Wuthering Heights can 'Survive Hollywood’s Sexy Makeover'.

And that’s where the danger lies. In satisfying what Brontë only ever suggested, a film risks deflating the very power that has kept Wuthering Heights burning through centuries. Desire thrives in absence. When the audience sees everything, the spell can break.

Yet, perhaps Fennell knows this. Perhaps the explicit is not meant to replace the implicit, but to refract it—to show how violently desire contorts when it’s been repressed too long. If she succeeds, this could be less a modernisation than a kind of exorcism—dragging the unspeakable into the light, not for titillation, but for reckoning.

Still, the question remains: can a story built on haunting withstand heat? Can the spectral be made flesh without losing its sting?

There’s no easy answer. But one suspects Brontë, radical in her own time, might have welcomed the attempt. After all, her novel was never polite. It was brutal, bloody, and wild long before Hollywood touched it.

The real test will be whether this adaptation leaves us gasping not from what we saw—but from what still lingers after. (Shatakshi Ganguly)

Daily Tribune looks at 'Wuthering Heights in visual media: The unwavering and wicked legacy' concluding that,

Perhaps that is the lasting legacy of Emily Brontë’s singular work: not that it is impossible to adapt, but that each adaptation serves as a haunting reminder of how wild and untamed the original remains: which is a literary ghost that refuses to rest. (Marie Cris Estrada)

A columnist from The Federalist bases a rather awful, sexist column on the--mistaken--assumption that Wuthering Heights is for women.

With the thudding, mind-numbing lyrics of “Fall in love again and again” senselessly repeated (again and again) along with erotic and bizarre images (what in the world is up with that fish?), the new Wuthering Heights trailer is the apotheosis of the intellectual depravity and moral baseness of media geared toward women.

A lot of women’s media is an insult to their intelligence and moral compass, but the new Wuthering Heights trailer takes the cake. One can’t help but watch it and wonder, “Is this what society thinks women want? Just a hodgepodge of senseless sensuality and intellectual debasement?” (Meg Marie Johnson)

Dewsbury Reporter echoes the news that Mary Taylor's Red House is to be turned into housing.

Now, BP Land Ltd has submitted plans to Kirklees Council to bring three residential properties to the site. Two will be located in the main mansion, if the application is approved, with the barn to be converted into a third home.

In the main house, original windows would be refurbished, with a bay window to be replaced to the south. An existing window to the west would be removed, partially infilled and new windows then installed.

The site would still be accessible from Oxford Road, with car parking provided for eight cars.

The three units would provide “generous” family accommodation, according to the application, with the two properties within the mansion set for three bedrooms and the house in the barn earmarked for four bedrooms.

A planning statement on behalf of the applicant added: “The application is driven by the desire to utilise, develop and refurbish a historically significant yet dilapidated site within a predominantly residential area for housing and to retain and convert the derelict listed buildings to help to retain the assets for future generations and diversify the local housing stock with properties of real character.”

Due to the nature of the building, the applicant has applied for planning permission and Listed Building Consent. Both applications are expected to be determined by October 21, 2025. (Abigail Marlow)

Book Riot presents Spotify’s new Big on BookTok audiobook hub, adding that

Right now, the top audiobook titles on the “BookTok’s Current Obsessions” shelf are Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. The “Hottest Authors” include Zoe Whittall and Donna Hill.