←Recommendations of an autobiography edited by Charlotte Bronte

What a gorgeous piece of writing; heartbreakingly touching and wildly theatrical, Kaplan captures the dynamics of a creative family with a sometimes acidic, sometimes honeyed pen, and in the process creates a vivid world of sorrow, loss, fear, and the redeeming power of love. Beautiful.

A story of sisterly love and rivalry, but also a meditation on art, mortality, and legacy. What Kaplan does so well is create a fantasy world that is totally unique and theatrical, yet it also captures the very human struggles of the real women from whom these worlds originated. Knowledge of Bronte’s work beyond a superficial level is not necessary, but those who have it will enjoy the rich subtext within the dialogue. A feast for young actresses (not to mention designers), this rare script accomplishes the near impossible feat: Mirroring the passion of icon who inspired it. Bravo!

Stephen Kaplan's play is brilliant in so many ways. It's theatricality is astounding and doable. The pacing, like the Bronte novels that dare you to be able to put them down because you've got to know "what's next," made this an amazingly fast read. The credible, clever characters displaying their annoyance with and acceptance of each other make clear where the inspiration for the iconic characters in their novels came from. Kaplan's simplicity of style and seamless structure deliver a great story where nineteenth century sociological issues totally resonate with today's. I highly recommend this script for reading and production.

An absolutely stunning play full of fantastic roles, including many roles for women. I can only imagine how powerful this show is staged. Each line of Kaplan's dialogue is ripe with character and wit and charm. These are the kind of meaty roles that actors would love to dig into--and the story itself is tremendously unique, heartbreaking, and rings so true. But there is such a brilliance and light about the play--and perhaps that is because it is a story first and a theatrical experience second, which is probably how the Brontes would have wanted it. Highly recommended.

This play is a profound, witty, heartbreaking, cutting, and imaginative exploration of what it is to be a sibling, and what it is to be a creative. An uncanny weaving of Brontë trivia and history with the familiar bickering of sibling rivalry gives this play a familiar yet completely unexplored feeling with every line. It is deeply moving, devilishly witty, and entertaining the way that only the Brontës could be, but here in Mr. Kaplan's hands, even more so.