Jane Eyre in Pasadena

The Elizabeth Williamson's Jane Eyre adaptation gets a new production in Pasadena:

Jane Eyre

Adapted by Elizabeth Williamson

A Noise Within

3352 E. Foothill Blvd.

Pasadena, CA 91107

Previews: March 23, March 26, March 27

March 29, March 30, April 4, April 6, April 11, April 18

EDIT: Important Performance Update: Sunday, March 23 at 2pm

Due to an actor health issue, we must postpone our first preview performance of Jane Eyre originally scheduled for Sunday, March 23 at 2pm. If you have tickets for this performance, our Box Office team will contact you directly to reschedule.

Director: Geoff Elliott

Cast

Jane Eyre : Jeanne Syquia 

Mr. Rochester : Frederick "Freddy" Stuart

Mrs. Fairfax : Deborah Strang*

Blanche/Bessie/Grace Poole : Trisha Miller

Mason/St. John Rivers/John Reed : Riley Shanahan 

Priest/John/Doctor : Bert Emmett 

Young Jane/Adele : Stella Bullock

Leah/Mary Ingram/Diane Rivers/Bertha : Julia Manis

Previews: March 23, March 26, March 27

March 29, March 30, April 4, April 6, April 11, April 18

Experience Jane’s resilience and determination to live life on her own terms, from her early years of hardship and mistreatment to her eventual pursuit of love and independence. In a tale beloved for generations, thrills, mystery, and romance abound in this tenacious story of self-determination. Facing societal expectations and personal challenges, Jane navigates betrayal and injustice with inexhaustible courage.

This bold and dynamic production offers audiences a compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest for freedom and fulfillment in the face of devastating adversity.

Broadway World or HeySocal has some more information:

“I read the adaptation first, having never read the novel, and I couldn’t put it down—it set me on fire,” says [Geoff] Elliott. “It’s a deeply affecting love story that’s also a Gothic horror tale, at once stirring, terrifying, with an impending sense of violence, and, in the end, uplifting. Williamson did a remarkable job of distilling the novel, which I’ve since read three times, into a sweeping, fast-moving two hours that moves like a river.” (Chloe Rabinowitz)

Larchmont Buzz interviews Jeanne Syquia, who plays Jane:

Jeanne Syquia, who stars as Jane at A Noise Within, has been re-reading the book throughout the rehearsal process and reports that, “The play follows the novel pretty faithfully. There are maybe two or three scenes that come chronologically in a different order in the play, just because it streamlines the story and makes it more cohesive for the theater audience. Aside from that, it’s very faithful to the novel.”

Despite its age, Syquia says, the story teaches important lessons for today, “about being true to yourself and never losing sight of who you are. Jane’s character has such integrity and such a strong moral compass. As you see in the novel and the play, she goes through some difficult, sometimes horrific, conditions. But throughout it all, she has a strong sense of herself and doesn’t betray that part of her.”

Syquia adds, “There’s a beautiful line in the play that I really love: ‘The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.’ In essence, to me, that means, the more she chooses the hard road, the more she’ll respect herself because she would only have chosen that if she’s staying true to who she is.” (Laura Foti Cohen)