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Twin Lakes Playhouse will present Charlotte Brontë’s Gothic romance “Jane Eyre” with an enhanced focus on the novel’s dark, supernatural elements in a three-weekend run beginning Aug. 8.
Director Olivia Wolfe emphasizes the Victorian novel’s Gothic atmosphere in this adaptation, highlighting the mysterious occurrences at Thornfield Hall and the brooding romance between the orphaned governess and her enigmatic employer.
Charlotte Brontë published “Jane Eyre” in 1847 under the masculine pen name “Currer Bell,” as female authors faced significant prejudice in Victorian England. The eldest of the three literary Brontë sisters, Charlotte drew from her own experiences as a governess and her time at the harsh Clergy Daughters School at Cowan Bridge, which became the model for the novel’s Lowood School.
The author revolutionized prose fiction by focusing on the psychological and spiritual development of her protagonist through an intimate first-person narrative. Brontë has been called the “first historian of the private consciousness” and influenced later writers, including Marcel Proust and James Joyce.
Kelsey Yearwood stars as Jane Eyre, with Phoenix Tilley portraying Edward Rochester, the tormented master of Thornfield Hall. The production features a 17-member cast bringing to life the story of an orphaned governess who discovers both love and terrifying secrets within the walls of a Yorkshire manor.
The cast includes Trey Wentworth, Symphony Fox, Logan Jackson, Steve Fox, Andrea McInnis, Josselyn Obregon, Alena Alvarez-Wynn, Jack Tolleson, Kimberly Kennedy, Addisyn Roberts, Patty Kotlicky, Chloe Premetz, Ami Adams, Levi Flores, Nancy Leone, Micheal Barker and Jeff Pyzocha.
Assistant director Megan Fox and vocal director Symphony Fox support Wolfe’s Gothic vision for the classic bildungsroman, emphasizing the novel’s psychological intensity and supernatural undertones.
The story follows Jane from her abusive childhood through her education at Lowood School to her arrival at Thornfield, where strange laughter echoes through the halls, mysterious fires threaten lives, and dark family secrets lurk in the attic.
Performances run at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees on Aug. 8-10, Aug. 15-18 and Aug. 22-24.
Tickets are $15 and available at tlpmh.org or by calling (870) 424-0444. Theater doors open one hour before showtime, with auditorium doors opening 30 minutes prior.
The production, presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals, is sponsored by Ed and Lucretia Coulter.
