Jane Eyre: A Performance SCE by Emma Russell
November 11th and 12th, 2022
Voice 3, played by Jenna Harper, makes Jane confront her own insecurities.
Jane is shamed and forced to stand upon a stool as punishment while at Lowood School.
Jane turns to Bessie, played by Zoe Brookebank, for comfort after being locked in the Red Room and seeing a ghost.
On Friday, November 11th, and Saturday, November 12th, the Washington College Department of Theatre and Dance presented Jane Eyre, directed by Abbey Wark ‘18. The performance was a Senior Capstone Experience for Emma Russell who starred as the titular character and served as producer for the show. The play is adapted from the novel of the same name, written by Charlotte Brontë, and tells the story of a young woman, who many believe to be the first fictional feminist icon, Jane Eyre. The play covers Jane’s journey, from her beginnings as a destitute orphan following her to adulthood, and showcases the obstacles she must overcome such as poverty, injustice, and the discovery of bitter betrayal before making the ultimate decision to follow her heart. In her producer’s note in the program, Emma said, “I think nowadays everybody could use a little bit of Jane's honesty about her desires, her unwillingness to give up herself, and her resilient spirit, I know I certainly can. Jane is a part of me that I don't think I will ever let go. I was there for her, to tell her story, and now I know that she will forever be with me to help me finish writing mine.”
Jane bonds with her pupil Adele, played by Liv Barry.
Aunt Reed, played by Julia Stanley, coddles her three children, played by Jenna Harper, Niko Chen, and Faith Poulton.
Coverage by Emma Russell ‘23
Photos Courtesy of the Department of Theatre and Dance