Posted by Heather on 2/18/2008, 11:46 pm, in reply to "Jane Eyre review"
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Ah! Thanks for the reminder. I went to go see this on Saturday and meant to write out my thoughts on it for everyone.
There was one point where I thought this production really shone, and that was in the interactions between Jane and Rochester. Their acting brought the two characters to life, and the one-on-one conversations between them were one of the strongest points of the show. They had very good chemistry together and did an excellent job bringing Bronte to life. Many of my favourite parts of the book are in the banter between Jane and Rochester early in their acquaintance, and I think they did it justice.
The adaptation was good in that it kept much of Bronte's original dialogue and wording. Something that we occasionally miss in Jane Eyre adaptations is the thoughts expressed in the narrative. Because they are Jane's thoughts, they often get skipped over in adaptations in favor of dialogue and interactions between characters-much of Jane's introspective wisdom can be lost. In this production, Jane's journal and occasional monologues were used to bring some of the narrative to stage as well. I enjoyed hearing some of my favorite quotes that are usually skipped over because of this ("It is vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility...")
There were a few rough spots in terms of technical issues, but I think that those kinks will be worked out with time...it was only the third day of the production. I did miss Jane's childhood, especially Helen and Miss Temple. I miss seeing why Jane is who she is. I think that for some people who are not familiar with the story, the idea of starting out with the end and using various flashbacks throughout the story (like to Jane's life with Aunt Reed) may be a bit confusing plot-wise. For the most part, though, people seemed to follow.
As the author of the review you posted did, I also have to commend the actors on their versatility. Going from Mrs. Fairfax to Aunt Reed is impressive, but the most impressive was one actress' changes from Blanche to Antoinette (Bertha). To be able to play both roles effectively in the same production must be rather difficult, but she did it well.
That was a long winded way of getting to my point 
I suppose I just get carried away when it comes to Jane. All in all, however, this was an enjoyable production. I find the story of Jane to be magical no matter what, but I did think that they did a good job with what they had and kept to the spirit of Bronte's work.
--Previous Message--
: A mixed review, I suppose, but it still sounds
: good to me! Wish I could see it.
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: CC
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: P.S. Mr. Rochester looks a little like
: Poldark
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