Westmont Theatre Presents Jane Eyre in Great Literature Series

The Westmont Theatre Department presents Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre in an acclaimed adaptation by Polly Teale Oct. 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. in Porter Theatre. They will also give matinees Oct. 18, 19, 25 and 26 for invited high school students in the first installment of the Found in Translation: Great Literature in the Theatre program.

Brontë’s classic novel tells the tale of strong-minded Jane, an orphan who must lock away her exuberance and passion to become a lowly governess in Mr. Rochester’s mansion. Teale’s adaptation reveals characters’ interior lives on the stage, as well as their carefully controlled exteriors, and connects Jane’s younger self with the mysterious woman locked in Rochester’s attic.

Jane Eyre is required reading in many high schools, and seeing the book interpreted into visually-rich live action helps students to gain a deeper understanding of the text. Found in Translation: Great Literature in the Theatre is a program pioneered by Department Chair Mitchell Thomas to bring high school students from Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties to see the production and discuss the novel with Westmont faculty and students. The program will also include the college’s production of Anon(ymous), an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey by Naomi Iizuka , in February.

Admission is $15, $7 for students and seniors. For more information about this production or Found in Translation, or to reserve tickets, contact Beth Lemons in the theatre department at 805-565-7040 or blemons@westmont.edu.