Bookstores are my happy place. But A Noise Within has now joined them as one of my favorite places to get cozy with a good book through their powerful productions of such classic stories as Frankenstein, Macbethand now Jane Eyre.
Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre has been a favorite of mine since high school — a Gothic mystery-thriller in which Jane Eyre takes a job as governess to Mr. Rochester’s young ward in a seemingly haunted manor. She hears eerie laughing and moaning from the third floor and is led to believe the sounds are coming from a servant named Grace Poole. But whoever this mysterious figure is, she attempts to murder more than one “inmate” (as Mr. Rochester calls the manor’s inhabitants at one point) with fire, a knife … and teeth. Bring on the glorious dark! The unraveling of the mystery of Thornfield Hall leads to a shocking revelation and near tragedy, but the love story ends happily.
I was halfway through a third reading of the book when I saw the play at A Noise Within. Elizabeth Williamson’s adaptation was brilliant, closely following Brontë’s words, with dialogue taken directly from the text. Jane Eyre is a rather long book, but this adaptation expertly condensed it into a show under two and a half hours. In the book, Jane narrates the story, addressing the “reader” directly; in the play, she narrates as well as participates in the scenes.
Jane Eyre is a remarkable character — a feisty, honest, bold and fiercely independent young woman in 1820s England. Hired as a governess for Mr. Rochester’s young ward, the 18-year-old proves herself an intellectual equal to her employer, a man 20 years her senior and of higher social standing. Mr. Rochester and Jane develop feelings for each other early on, but he manipulates her into expressing her love first. The story was probably shocking to a 19th-century audience, and Brontë published it in 1847 under a male pseudonym.
Producing Artistic Director Geoff Elliott’s direction was excellent, and the actors at A Noise Within never disappoint. They brought out quite a bit of humor I hadn’t picked up on as I read the book. Their interpretations brought these 19th-century characters to vivid life. Jeanne Syquia (Jane) and Frederick “Freddy” Stuart (Mr. Rochester) were wonderful, as were Stella Bullock (Adele, Young Jane), the always-great Deborah Strang (Mrs. Fairfax, Lady Ingram, Mrs. Reed) and Trisha Miller (Blanche, Bessie, Grace Poole) in their multiple roles.
The clever staging included furniture on wheels and doors that could be raised and lowered to create the illusion of multiple rooms and floors in Thornfield Hall, as well as various other settings.
If you’ve never read Jane Eyre, you will love this introduction to a wonderful classic — and may be inspired to get a copy at nearby Vroman’s Bookstore after the show. And if you have, you know you are in for a treat to see Brontë’s masterpiece come to life at A Noise Within’s intimate home in Pasadena. The show continues through April 20.
—Julie Riggott, Culture Spot LA
For more information, visit https://www.anoisewithin.org/play/jane-eyre/.
Photo: Jeanne Syquia and Frederick Stuart in A Noise Within’s production of Jane Eyre / Photo by Craig Schwartz