Posted by Alumnae Theatre Company
Jane Eyre by Erin Shields
A theatrical adaption of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Directed by Maureen Lukie
Show Run: January 20 – 31, 2027
Performances are on Wednesdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Saturday and Sundays at 2 pm
Auditions: In-Person Auditions will take place on:
Sat, Oct 17, 1 – 5 pm
Sun, Oct 18, 7 – 10 pm
Mon, Oct 19, 7 – 10 pm
To request an audition please email your headshot and résumé along with the names of the principal character(s) you’d like to audition for to: janeeyre@alumnaetheatre.com.
If scheduled for an audition, you’ll be asked to prepare a 2 minute contemporary monologue.
Callbacks: Oct 24, 1 – 4pm
(If you are selected to attend callbacks, sides of the play will be provided to you)
Rehearsals Start: Nov 3, 2026, with two weekday rehearsals and one weekend rehearsal
The Alumnae Theatre welcomes and encourages submissions from individuals of all cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and body types.
**This is a Non-Union, Non-Paying production.
For more information: https://alumnaetheatre.com/
Play Synopsis & Character Breakdowns
One of literary history’s great characters is brought to new life by Erin Shields, known for her contemporary interpretations of classical texts. Jane Eyre explores a brilliant young woman’s rise to her own potential and the trials by fire that shape her views on love and loyalty. This interpretation takes a sharp, witty, and modern feminist dive into Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece.
Erin Shields is a beloved Canadian playwright, winner of the Governor General’s award for playwriting and multiple Dora awards.
In this play, 8-10 actors will play a collective of approximately 50 characters from the novel. It is intended that Jane Eyre will be played by 1 actor principally, with another actor playing her younger self; the actor playing Mr. Rochester will play that character principally. All other characters will be divided among the rest of the ensemble. The entire cast is intended to be diverse, playing characters across lines of age, race and gender. Please do not rule yourself out for any reason – but be prepared to play multiple roles that do not conform to your basic self. Flexibility is key!
Among the characters to be played are:
Jane Eyre (21) – a child raised in a house where she was unloved, sent away to boarding school; her adult self who finds herself via a journey through a hostile world until she can find happiness on her own terms.
Mr. Rochester – her gruff, troubled employer who comes to respect Jane and see his salvation in Jane
Mrs. Reed – Jane’s aunt, a cold woman who only cares for her own spoiled children, who turns young Jane out of her home
Mr. Brocklehurst – the proud, arrogant administrator of an uncharitable girls’ school
Miss Temple – the saving grace of that school who shows Jane her first kindness
Helen Burns – Jane’s first friend, lost too soon
Mrs. Fairfax – Mr. Rochester’s discreet housekeeper