Summary
Jane Eyre is a play adapted from Charlotte Bronte's famous novel. It tells the story of an orphan girl named Jane Eyre and her journey through three important phases of her life: her miserable childhood at Gateshead, her years at the charity school Lowood, and her new beginning as a governess at Thornfield.
The play opens at Gateshead, where ten-year-old Jane lives with her cruel aunt Mrs. Reed and her three cousins -- Eliza, John, and Georgiana. Jane is constantly mistreated. John bullies her, throws a book at her, and physically attacks her. When Jane defends herself, Mrs. Reed punishes her by locking her in the frightening red room. Jane falls ill from the traumatic experience. After this incident, Mrs. Reed sends Jane away to Lowood Institution, a charity school for orphans run by Mr. Brocklehurst.
At Lowood, Jane meets kind figures like Miss Temple and her friend Helen Burns. The conditions at Lowood are harsh -- the water freezes, and food is scarce. When spring arrives, disease spreads through the school. Forty-five out of eighty girls fall ill, and tragically, Helen Burns dies. Jane spends eight years at Lowood -- six as a pupil and two as a teacher.