On this special episode, Julie and Janina speak with Julie Butters and Derron Wood of Flock Theatre in New London, CT, who will be debuting their production of Jane Eyre via Zoom film on Friday, November 6, 2020 at 7 pm. Julie Butters, a patron of Swampscott Public Library, wrote the adaptation of Jane Eyre and plays Jane in the production, and Derron Wood is the Executive Artistic Director at Flock. We discuss their process for adapting Jane Eyre for a Zoom film format.

They had planned to perform the production in the historic Shaw Mansion in New London, but had to move to filming on Zoom during the pandemic. The Shaw Mansion had provided an intimate and historical experience during their past period piece productions. They plan to perform Jane Eyre there after the pandemic is over.

Skip ahead in the episode to hear Julie and Derron’s answers to specific questions about the production:

• 0:44: Deciding to film over Zoom due to COVID
• 4:39: Planning to eventually perform live at the historic Shaw Mansion
• 6:12: Adjusting from stage to Zoom
• 9:22: What it’s like to act over Zoom
• 12:14: Stories from performing at the Shaw Mansion
• 18:25: Marketing to viewers worldwide
• 21:29: Benefits of working directly with the adapter on a play
• 25:16: The why and how of adapting Jane Eyre
• 30:43: Favorite film adaptations of Jane Eyre; how different actors approach the same role
• 34:00: Facing pre-conceived notions about well-known literary characters 
• 37:34: Directing Jane Eyre; shadow puppetry in the film
• 43:20: Logistics of filming during COVID
• 44:24: Future projects

The Swampscott Public Library will be hosting a viewing of the film on Zoom on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 6 pm. After the film, we will be joined by Julie, Derron, and Eric Michaelian, the actor who plays Mr. Rochester in the production for a post-viewing discussion.

 

Steve Marantz is an author, journalist, and podcaster. His expansive career started in the newsroom of the Kansas City Star. He then moved on to the Boston Globe where he first covered sports, and then general assignment news and politics. He spent time at Sporting News Magazine and the Boston Herald before moving to ESPN.com and E:60, the sports newsmagazine broadcast by ESPN. He has written four books, including The Rhythm Boys of Omaha Central: High School Basketball at the ’68 Racial Divide and Citizen Akoy: Basketball and the Making of a South Sudanese American. He has recently started his own podcast, Championship Stories.

 

Clem Schoenebeck has published both a book of poetry, Where the Time Went: Poems at Eighty and a memoir, Dancing with Fireflies: One Man’s Escape From Insanity. On today’s episode, Julie and Clem discuss the way that poetry and writing can be a form of therapy and how to get started with an artistic endeavor at any point in your life.