New adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s beloved novel Jane Eyre from Elizabeth Williamson, who also directs, will debut in February at Hartford Stage

Hartford, CT – January 15, 2020 – A new adaptation of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë’s beloved tale of courage, sacrifice and self-respect, will debut next month at Hartford Stage.  The novel has been adapted for the stage by Hartford Stage Associate Artistic Director Elizabeth Williamson, who will also direct.  Jane Eyre runs Thursday, February 13, through Saturday, March 14.

Charlotte Brontë’s hauntingly beautiful gothic masterpiece features one of literature’s greatest feminist heroines in the character of Jane Eyre. Orphaned as a child, Jane takes a position working as governess at Thornfield Hall for the brooding Edward Rochester. The strong-willed Jane falls in love with her mysterious employer, but the discovery of a dark secret and its devastating aftermath forces the young governess to make a heart-wrenching decision that changes their lives forever.

“Jane Eyre has always been one of my favorite novels, and I’ve been wanting to stage it for years. I love the way Brontë used the Gothic model to write a startlingly original, powerful story of one young woman’s making her way in the world against considerable odds,” Williamson said. “I’m delighted to be tackling it with the remarkable Helen Sadler as Jane, Chandler Williams as Rochester, and a wonderful company across the board.”

Williamson previously directed Henry V, the world premiere of Seder by Sarah Gancher, and Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9 at Hartford Stage. A dramaturg as well as a director, her credits include Matthew Lopez’s Olivier Award-winning epic The Inheritance, currently on Broadway, and the Hartford Stage world premieres of the Tony Award-winning musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder; Big Dance Theatre’s Man in a Case; Bess Wohl’s Make Believe; and the new musical Anastasia, which closed last year on Broadway and is currently in the midst of a national tour. A former NEA fellow in Literary Translation, Williamson has also translated and adapted work for the stage, including La Dispute for Hartford Stage, Michel Azama’s The Life and Death of Pier Paolo Pasolini (Abingdon), and The Floating World (HERE).

Portraying the iconic roles of Jane and Mr. Rochester are Helen Sadler (Mysterious Circumstances, Geffen Playhouse; Blood Wedding, Lookingglass Theatre Company) and Chandler Williams (Jeeves & Wooster in “Perfect Nonsense,” Hartford Stage; Mary Stuart, Broadway).

Also in the cast of Jane Eyre are: Marie-France Arcilla (Rain, The Old Globe Theatre; Working, 59E59 Theaters) as Blanche, Bessie and Grace Poole; Grayson DeJesus (War Horse, First National Tour, Lincoln Center Theatre;Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Long Wharf Theatre) as Mason, St. John Rivers and John Reed; Megan Gwyn (A Christmas Carol–A Ghost Story of Christmas, Hartford Stage) as Diana Rivers and Leah; Felicity Jones Latta (Henry V, Hartford Stage; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, National Tour) as Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Fairfax, and Bertha; Meghan Pratt (A Christmas Carol–A Ghost Story of Christmas, Hartford Stage) as Adèle and Young Jane; and Steve Routman (The Flamingo Kid, Hartford Stage; La Bête, Broadway) as the Priest, John, and the Doctor.

Jane Eyre’s creative team includes Scenic Designer Nick Vaughan (Cloud 9, Hartford Stage); Costume Designer Ilona Somogyi (Romeo & Juliet, Hartford Stage); Lighting Designer Isabella Byrd (Heroes of the Fourth Turning, Playwrights Horizons); Sound Designer Matt Hubbs (Indecent, Yale Repertory Theatre/Broadway); Composer Christian Frederickson (Henry V, Hartford Stage); Dialect Coach Claudia Hill-Sparks (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hartford Stage); Dramaturg Fiona Kyle (The Comedy of Errors, Hartford Stage); and Fight Choreographer Greg Webster (The Engagement Party, Hartford Stage).

Hannah Woodward (The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, Hartford Stage) is the Production Stage Manager. Kelly Hardy (Cry It Out, Hartford Stage) serves as Assistant Stage Manager.

The Lead Sponsor for Jane Eyre is The John and Kelly Hartman Foundation.

The Production Sponsor is The Saunders Foundation.

Information and Special Events

• Dates & Times – Jane Eyre runs Thursday, February 13, through Saturday, March 14. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and select weekday matinee performances begin at 2 p.m.
• Press and Opening Night – Friday, February 21, at 8:00 p.m.
• PlayDate Performance – Saturday, February 22, at 2:00 p.m. (Free babysitting service for parents and caregivers of children ages 2-10)
• Sunday Afternoon Discussion – Sunday, February 23, immediately following the 2:00 p.m. matinee
• Open Captioned Performance – Sunday, March 1, at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. For patrons who are blind or have low vision — free service with admission.
• Audio Described Performance – Saturday, March 7, at 2:00 p.m. For patrons who are deaf or have hearing loss. Free service with admission.
• AfterWords Discussion – February 25, 26 and March 3. Join members of the cast and our Artistic staff for a free discussion, immediately following select 7:30 p.m. performances on Tuesday or 2:00 p.m. Wednesday matinees.

Tickets start at $25. For show times and tickets, visit https://www.hartfordstage.org/jane-eyre/ or contact the Hartford Stage Box Office at 860-527-5151. Student tickets are $20. For group discounts (10 or more), contact Group Sales at 860-527-5151. Group rates are limited to select performances and based on availability.