Displaying items by tag: Jane Eyre

It seems to me the Joffrey Ballet’s been picking literary shows as of late based on books I either never finished or don’t remember. Last season, they presented Anna Karenina, which I admit I never read all the way through, but which delighted me in its transformation to the Auditorium Theatre’s stage. And now, the Joffrey’s 2019-2020 season opens with another 19th century classic, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Now, I know I finished the novel, as every moment in the ballet was recognizable to me, but I can’t for the life of me recall when I read it, whether it was high school or college. Shows that perhaps the book didn’t make that big of an impression. But I’ve got to admit, the ballet did make an impression. Seems to me that a much younger me could have used Joffrey productions of required English class reading as a mix of Cliff’s Notes and nights on the town. Alas, a younger me never had that opportunity, but the older me sure is lucky for the chance.

Just as she played the lead role in the Joffrey’s magnificent Nutcracker last winter, Amanda Assucena takes on the eponymous role of Jane for this production. And boy, does she deliver. But every bit as important to the main character’s story is Yumi Kanazawa, who plays a young Jane through the first couple scenes. Kanazawa matches Assucena in passion and performance, and seamlessly portrays the woman as a girl, handing the part off upon her arrival at adulthood.

Now, the two ballets I’ve mentioned above — The Nutcracker and Anna Karenina — are spectacles, the former by tradition and the Joffrey’s Chicago-centric twist on the tale, the latter because of the source material’s length and depth. Jane Eyre, on the other hand, lacks the marvel and magnitude of those two, instead centering on the experience and personhood of the title character. And, while still delivering some of the sights and sounds of the other productions, this production allows the Joffrey’s performers to shine, just as the characters in Brontë’s book are the reader’s focus, with Jane as both the book and the ballet’s focal point.

When Jane’s classmate Helen, played by Brooke Linford, dies from tuberculosis or cholera or whatever old-timey predicament Brontë killed her off with, we feel Jane’s pain at the loss. When Greig Matthews’ pompous Rochester at last succumbs to Jane’s charm, so do we. While the visual beauty of the set is still there, from the sad-sack orphans Lowood School to the fire that endangers Rochester at his Thornfield estate, of  it is the visual beauty of the dancers that is the star of this show, just as the characters — or the character, of Jane, really, is the star of Brontë’s novel.

So join the Joffrey Ballet at the Auditorium Theatre through October 27, as all its world-class company of talent once again digs deep into a literary classic to turn words into images, memories into reality, and a 19th century novel into a 21st century evening of entertainment.

From its frenetic opening to its poetic end, The Hypocrites' You on the Moors Now is a rip-roaring, hilarious adventure. The play, written by Jaclyn Backhaus, features four of classic literature’s all-time favorite heroines: Jo March, from Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bennett from Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, Jane Eyre from Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”, and Cathy Earnshaw from Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”.

Directed by Devon de Mayo, this little gem may not be quite what these famed authors from the 19th century envisioned when they wrote their enduring novels, however for any lover of those romantic classics this new look at our heroines is definitely worth the journey.

Even if you are not familiar with the novels, in a very effective move, de Mayo takes great care to make sure the audience is not lost by creating the “Pemberley Museum” setting complete with artifacts as well as “museum guides” providing detailed information about each heroine.

If you are familiar then you know that Lizzy’s, Jane’s, Cathy’s and Jo’s stories have often been retold on the stage and big and small screen, offering up modern touches and interpretations for new generations. You on the Moors Now attempts to do all of that and more by merging all four storylines seamlessly with humor. It is an empowering look at a group of women who say ‘no’ not only to their ardent suitors but also to the conventions and societal norms expected of them. They lean in and on each other as they embark on a journey that is not without a battle and considerable cost.

One of the elements that makes the play so much fun is the role reversal where the suitors: Laurie (Little Women), Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights), Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice) and Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre) are utterly distraught – DISTRAUGHT – even collapsing on the floor in a faint, as if their whole worlds have been destroyed, at the very idea of being so impudently rejected.

Meanwhile, the heroines are settled on the moors around a campfire enjoying s'mores and sharing solidarity and dreams of what they can be and do with their newfound freedom.

In one illuminating scene, the group of heroines observes how men are granted space to get over their disappointments while women are expected to just make themselves presentable for the next opportunity. For them, this moment represents their chance to have that same space and in it, they will live, travel and love.

The men, however, plan to not only find Jo, Jane, Lizzy and Cathy but to exact vengeance for their spurned proposals as well. A battle of the sexes ensues as each side enlists the aid of secondary characters from all four novels including the Bingley siblings from “Pride and Prejudice” – Charles and Caroline, and St. John River and his sister from “Jane Eyre”. Messages are passed from camp to camp via perfumed handkerchiefs and colorful ribbons until a betrayal leads the suitors to the heroines’ encampment where the hilarious battle of the Moors Wars commences – complete with movie and TV references from the “Game of Thrones” to “Home Alone”.

A very talented, diverse cast keeps a fast pace and a consistent rhythm throughout most of the play. However, after an energetic fight scene, the third act slows a bit but that could be due to the shift into more prose and poetic language, which could easily appear in any of the novels, and it provides a very effective and satisfying ending.

You on the Moors Now is playing at The Den Theatre’s Heath Main Stage until October 30, 2016. Tickets can be purchased at www.the-hypocrites.com.