Jane: A Love Story - My Thoughts On A New Theater Adaptation
Jane: A Love Story ( also Jane: A Ghost Story) is a new play adaptation that is currently running at the Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado (near San Diego). The play is adapted by David McFadzean and stars Natasha Harris as Jane and Manny Fernandes as Mr. Rochester. Also featuring Lizzie Morse as Helen Burns, Sam Ashdown as St. John Rivers, and Caitie Grady as Blanche Ingram. It does feature a small ensemble cast so some of the cast doubled up on other parts. Also, it doesn’t say in the playbill, but I could have sworn it was a male cast member playing Bertha - I wonder if I’m right!
I was excited to see a new interpretation of Jane Eyre in my neck of the woods, and this version definitely embraced taking the story in new directions. Firstly, the play seemed unsure which aspect of the story to emphasize, as on the front of the theatre, and initially when I heard about it, it was subtitled “A Ghost Story.” Later on, and in some of the promotional material I see the subtitle “A Love Story”. This version seemed to go in between the two, as it certainly added in more eerie bits including moments when the gargoyles of Thornfield watch over certain scenes while whistling/moaning creepily. And little Adele is very much afraid of the ghosts in the third story. There is also a new scene for when Jane arrives at Millcote and is waiting to be taken to Thornfield. There, she meets a traveling couple, and she tells them that she is going to Thornfield. The woman repeatedly insists that there is the devil’s work going on there, and not to go, and warns her to ask about the cook and what happened to her. I’m not sure if I missed it, but the reference to the cook is soon dropped, and I guess she just knew too much and had to leave?
The play also placed the story of Jane in the 1920’s. So we got to see Jane dance and sing to a gramophone (I feel like the fact that Jane sings is the replacement to Jane’s piano playing for Rochester in the novel). There are also telephones, cars, and trains in this story which helps Jane travel quickly. It is cool to see how these modern additions changed the story. Although Mr. Rochester still rides in on his “horse” when he first meets Jane.
When it comes to the love story aspect of the play, I did find it a little deficient. The romance between Jane and Rochester happens very quickly - especially since when Jane meets Rochester again at Thornfield, she almost immediately asks the butler, named Buckles in this version, if he can call for the car and leave because she doesn’t want to work for such a boorish employer. It did give Jane a more empowering moment, because she could just leave an uncomfortable situation, but Mrs. Fairfax and Buckles convince Jane to stay. And yet very soon after Jane starts having feelings, and in another unique moment in the story, it seems that most people know that Jane is enamored with Rochester. Even Rochester! And even Blanche when she first meets Jane, because she takes the time to tell Jane that men like Rochester will use Jane as a plaything, but marry a more worthy woman. It was an odd change to the story, especially since it didn’t quite make sense for Rochester to play with Jane’s emotions like that. The romance could have been so much more straightforward, instead of Rochester bringing in the party and ignoring Jane at times.
And yet the chemistry between Jane and Rochester felt flat - they had some lovely moments, but because Rochester did tend to ignore her at times their relationship felt emotionally distant, with just Jane reinforcing it by pining after Rochester.
Natasha as Jane did capture Jane’s strength of character well, and even gave Jane a more accurate north of England accent. Natasha did play young Jane into adulthood, and she gave Jane more youthful excess and excitement than might have been in the book. Perhaps the stand out relationship in the play is her friendship with Helen at Lowood. Helen also matched Jane’s exuberant energy and they are “besties” very quickly in the story, bonding over a love of poetry. For the length of the play, they spent a good amount of time developing Jane and Helen’s bond and I enjoyed that. But Helen’s illness very quickly comes up, and she was soon gone.
Manny Fernandes as Rochester was… fine. He didn’t quite capture the magnetic aura of Rochester for me, but he did bring the teasing and commanding side of the character when needed. I did not feel the romance was very strong either, but that could have been just me. There were a couple fun additions to the text though and one that stood out for me was the scene the day after the proposal and Jane makes some comment about not comprehending that Mr. Rochester loves her. And Rochester replies by picking up an hourglass and saying something to the effect of:
“Love is not to be comprehended. Love is like this hourglass. (He turns the hourglass over.) As the brain empties, the heart fills up.”
In terms of other unique aspects of the story, Grace Poole has a more prominent role in the story (in keeping with the ghostly aspect) as she makes a couple of cryptic warnings directly to the audience, and in one fun moment, after we see something is happening on the third story, she turns to the audience and says “None of your business!”
Diana Rivers seems to immediately dislike Jane, and seems to think that when vagrant Jane turns up at the church that she wants to ensnare St. John into marriage and this Diana is very intent on protecting her brother. She is oddly and surprisingly antagonistic towards Jane, but we hear from Jane later that she and her become better friends. I can only guess that this take on Diana is to show that it is not entirely easy for Jane after she leaves Rochester, as her wandering of the moors is very shortened in this version.
St. John Rivers is a much kinder version, as he does seem put off by Jane not accepting his proposal, but he soon forgets it and treats her kindly. When he says the line that there is nothing to forgive, having not been offended - he actually meant it! We even see St. John (as well as Miss Temple, and Miss Scatcherd???) show up to Jane and Rochester’s wedding for a very happy ending. Also if you’ve ever wanted to see St. John dance with Miss Scatchered, this play is for you!
Overall, this was an enjoyable adaptation. Since it was a small production I enjoyed the intimacy of the theatre, and the way the audience could be brought into the story at times (St. John refers to us as his congregation when he is giving a sermon, and Mr. Rochester invites all of us to see his wife on the third floor during the interrupted wedding). While the purist in me missed a few key emotional beats of the story, the fact that this was set in a more modern time, helped explain away a few things. The play runs for one more week, so if you are in the area, definitely check it out!
