JANE EYRE - Dramatic Publishing - Home page

1 jane EYRE:Life at LowoodA One Act PlayDramatizedbyROBERT JOHANSONB ased on the novel, jane Eyre,byCHARLOTTE BRONT Dramatic PublishingWoodstock, Illinois England Australia New Zealand The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, Illinois** NOTICE **The amateur and stock acting rights to this work are controlled exclu-sively by THE Dramatic Publishing COMPANY without whosepermission in writing no performance of it may be given. Royalty mustbe paid every time a play is performed whether or not it is presented forprofit and whether or not admission is charged. A play is performed anytime it is acted before an audience. Current royalty rates, applications andrestrictions may be found at our Web site: ,or we may be contacted by mail at: Dramatic Publishing COM-PANY, Box 129, Woodstock IL LAW GIVES THE AUTHOR OR THE AUTHOR SAGENT THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO MAKE COPIES.

2 This law pro-vides authors with a fair return for their creative efforts. Authors earntheir living from the royalties they receive from book sales and from theperformance of their work. Conscientious observance of copyright law isnot only ethical, it encourages authors to continue their creative work is fully protected by copyright. No alterations, deletions orsubstitutions may be made in the work without the prior written consentof the publisher. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copy, recording, videotape, film, or any information storage and retrievalsystem, without permission in writing from the publisher.

3 It may not beperformed either by professionals or amateurs without payment of roy-alty. All rights, including, but not limited to, the professional, motion pic-ture, radio, television, videotape, foreign language, tabloid, recitation, lec-turing, publication and reading, are performance of any songs, music and recordings mentioned in thisplay which are in copyright, the permission of the copyright ownersmust be obtained or other songs and recordings in the public domainsubstituted. MMIV byROBERT JOHANSONB ased on the novelJane EyrebyCHARLOTTE BRONT Printed in the United States of AmericaAll Rights Reserved( jane EYRE: Life at Lowood)ISBN.

4 1-58342-222-6 The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, IllinoisIMPORTANT BILLING AND CREDIT REQUIREMENTSAll producers of the playmustgive credit to the author of the play in allprograms distributed in connection with performances of the play and inall instances in which the title of the play appears for purposes of adver-tising, publicizing or otherwise exploiting the play and/or a name of the authormustalso appear on a separate line, on which noother name appears, immediately following the title, andmustappear insize of type not less than fifty percent the size of the title type. Biographi-cal information on the author, if included in the playbook, may be used inall all programs this notice must appear:Produced by special arrangement withTHE Dramatic Publishing COMPANYof Woodstock, Illinois The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, IllinoisJANE EYRE: Life at LowoodA One-act PlayFor 12w, 2m, 5 girls, 1 boyplus any number of schoolgirls some doubling possibleCHARACTERSJANE EYRE as an adultYOUNG jane EYRE, 10 years oldAT GATESHEAD:MRS.

5 SARA GIBSON REED, jane s auntHer children:JOHN REED, age 14 GEORGIANA REED, age 12 ELIZA REED, age 13 GEORGIANA, age 25 ELIZA, age 26 Her maids:BESSIEMISS ABBOTMR. REED S GHOSTAT LOWOOD SCHOOL:MR. BROCKLEHURST, the headmasterMISS MILLERMISS SCATCHERDMADAME PIERROT, the French teacherHELEN BURNS, age 14 MISS MARIA TEMPLEMRS. BROCKLEHURST, the headmaster s wifeAUGUSTA BROCKLEHURST, their daughterSCHOOLGIRLS, ages 8-17 The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, IllinoisMRS. FAIRFAX, Thornfield HallTHE PLACE: Northeast TIME: stage is surrounded in darkness. Minimal furnish-ings only are used to denote Gateshead there is an upholstered bench, sofa, stool,table and two chairs, a Lowood a number of wooden benches, a globe, production is spare and characters have one costume except YOUNG JANEwho dons a schoolgirl s apron over her basic DOUBLING: 7-9 women, 2 men, 4 girls, 1 boy+ schoolgirlsJane EyreYoung jane EyreMrs.

6 Reed, Mrs. BrocklehurstJohn ReedYoung Eliza Reed, SchoolgirlYoung Georgiana Reed, Augusta Brocklehurst, SchoolgirlMr. Reed s Ghost, DoctorBessieAbbott, Madame Pierrot, Mrs. FairfaxMiss MillerMiss ScatcherdHelen BurnsMiss TempleSchoolgirls Older Georgiana, Eliza The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, IllinoisJANE EYRE: Life at LowoodAT RISE:An upholstered bench is center stage with abook lying upon it. The book isBewick s History ofBritish Birds. A pool of light illuminates the benchonly ideally it is the dim light from a tall window on agray day coming from the direction of the audience. Thebench floats in a dark of the darkness, a veiled woman in black appearsfrom UC.

7 She slowly walks to the bench and stands be-hind it. The woman lifts her veil. She is very plain. Hername is jane (looking out the window). I never liked long walks,especially on chilly afternoons. As a child, I was gladwhen it rained and my aunt confined us indoors. Then Icould sneak away to some quiet corner and open abook (YOUNG jane appears from behind jane and comesaround to sit on the bench, opening the book.) jane . one stored with pictures. Each picture told astory a story quite different from my own.(Harpsi-chord or piano music is heard. Both JANES look in thedirection of the music.)When my aunt was occupied in7 The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, Illinoisplaying her music, I had to be wary.

8 Music neversoothed me. Rather, it filled me with fear.(JOHN REED appears, followed by his sisters. They aresneaking up on YOUNG jane . JOHN, 14, is large andstout for his age with unwholesome skin. The golden-curled GEORGIANA, 12, is quite pretty, if a little plump;ELIZA, 13, is severely handsome.) jane . My cousin, John Reed, bullied and punished me;not two or three times a week, but every moment he wasout of his mother s sight. He should have been away toschool, but my aunt claimed he must remain at homedue to his delicate health. I feared him with every nervein my What now, Madam Mope?YOUNG jane . What do you want?JOHN.

9 Say What do you want, Master Reed? YOUNG jane . What do you want, Master I want you to come here! (He thrusts his tongue outat her as far as possible without damaging the roots.) jane (as YOUNG jane slowly walks toward JOHN).Iknew he would soon strike, and while dreading theblow, I mused on his disgusting and ugly m sure he read the notion on my (striking YOUNG jane hard across the face).Thatis for the look you just had in your eyes! (He snatchesYOUNG jane s book.)How dare you steal MY book you are a dependent, Mama says! You have no money;your father left you none; you ought to be a beggar andnot live here with gentlemen s children like us.

10 Isn t thatright, Georgie? Liza?8 jane EYRE: Life at Lowood The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, IllinoisGEORGIANA. She s a horrid For nine years a guest in our home!JOHN. I ll teach you to rummage through my shelves! Ev-erything in this house belongs to me, or will do in a fewyears time. I ll teach you. (He strikes her hard with thebook. She falls to the ground.)YOUNG jane . Wicked and cruel boy! You are like amurderer a slavedriver you are like the Roman em-perors!(JOHN is shocked speechless for a moment.) jane . I had read Goldsmith sHistory of Rome, and hadformed my opinions of Nero and Caligula!JOHN. What? What? Eliza!