About the Play:

Jane Eyre is a full-length drama adapted for the stage by Robert Johanson from the famous novel by Charlotte Bronte. Despite the odds, a brave but plain and friendless orphan finds a path to love on her own terms and becomes one of the favourite heroines of all time.

Charlotte Bronte's magnificent Gothic love story is brought to stirring life. In the burned-out ruins of Thornfield Hall, the adult Jane Eyre recalls the disturbing events of her childhood and young adulthood: her miserable upbringing as an orphan thrust upon unsympathetic relatives, her trials at the infamous Lowood School, and eventually her acceptance as governess at Thornfield Hall where she encounters its enigmatic master, Edward Rochester. Jane eventually unravels the secrets of this mysterious place and finds her own personal epiphany through honesty, courage and sacrifice. A moving story for all times and a stunning portrayal of one of the world's greatest heroines.

Jane Eyre premiered in 1997 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey. The cast included a young Anne Hathaway and Laura Benanti.

Cast: 14 women, 7 men with doubling (or as many as 33 women, 11 men, plus extras)

What people say:

"...hugely entertaining." — Wall Street Journal

"...rich in mystery and romanticism, abundant with brooding atmosphere. Using scissors and prudent theatrical liberty, Johanson retains the novel’s compelling narrative flow." — Variety

"...enthralling, beautiful, humorous and wildly romantic." — The Trenton Times

About the Playwright:

Robert Johanson was the Artistic Director of the State Theatre of New Jersey, the Paper Mill Playhouse, from 1985 to 2002. World premieres under his aegis included his dramatization of Jane Eyre.