When Charlotte Bront+â wrote "Jane Eyre," few women published novels, let alone bestsellers. Because she and her sisters had previously released a book of poetry published under male pseudonyms with limited success, Bront+â decided to publish the book under her own name.
More than 150 years after its publication, the romance novel has been adapted into a miniseries, a film, a Broadway musical and a national touring production.
In its 34-year history, The Acting Company has presented more than 125 plays ranging from classic Shakespeare productions to new plays adapting American literary classics, touring 48 states and nine foreign countries in addition to a New York season.
This season's tour includes stops in 46 communities in 23 states, including a stop Tuesday at Ball State University's Emens Auditorium.
The Acting Company's adaptation of London's West End drama is different from most productions of the show, Hannah Cabell, the actress playing the title character, said.
"The adaptation leaves a lot of room for actors and directors to fill in the images of the story," Cabell said.
Cabell joins the ranks of the company's alumni - Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone and Frances Conroy, among others - whose acting careers began after becoming members, thanks to director Davis McCallum, with whom she worked in graduate school.
A coming-of-age tale, the story follows Jane Eyre as she endures living with a cruel aunt as a child, suffers miserable conditions at her boarding school and progresses into life as a governess. She gradually falls in love with the master of the house but struggles with this "forbidden" love and her low position in life.
Dr. Cheryl Bove, assistant professor of English, reads "Jane Eyre" as part of her advanced humanities course that covers literary topics of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The story is relevant to college students because Eyre wants a life other than the one society says she can have, she said.
"We want her to succeed; her spirit helps us see we can do what we want to do," Bove said.
Matthew Steiner, who plays Jane's benefactor St. John Rivers among three other roles, said he's grateful to be part of the production to help dispel the common conception of "Jane Eyre" as just another Victorian romance.
"It's usually seen more as a woman's story, but ['Jane Eyre'] is the classic tale of anyone suppressing themselves," he said. "It's about how you come to terms with [the struggle]."
In preparing for the production, Cabell said she could imagine how Eyre would react to situations today because the character's struggles surpass the bounds of time.
"Even though the story itself took place in the 19th century, I still can relate to [Jane]," she said. "Human beings are human beings. [Her independence] sort of seeps into you."
See the show:When: 8 p.m.Where: Emens AuditoriumCost: $5 for Ball State students
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