Jane Eyre provides outlet

A select handful of students may consider themselves lucky enough to enjoy school so much that they become bored over the summer. This leads to a longing and excitement for new class schedules, meeting new professors, buying new school supplies. Some may even become so excited that they really don’t mind spending the equivalent of Nigeria’s GDP on textbooks, half of which they may never open long enough to see the table of contents. But what do these students do before those end-of-summer excitements take place?

A small group of WSU performing arts students beat the “summer blues” by taking part in the musical Jane Eyre, about a young governess that falls in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester. Their affair is tainted by haunting past relationships, though their love for each other eventually melts the complications. 

The cast included Nathan Krishnan, an art education major, and Marie Bently, a vocal performance major. The rest of the cast came together from various other parts of Utah. They performed for two weeks in June at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City.

Bently portrayed Blanche Ingram, a young noblewoman seeking the love of Mr. Rochester and his estate.

“The show was a great way to not only stay involved with music, but I was able to meet some awesome people in the cast and gain experience with a role I hadn’t really had before,” Bently said.

Bently said she also considered it a good way to beat the summer blues and get out to try something new.

“Even if you’re working or taking classes over the summer, being involved with something like a show, I think, is a really good thing to do. It’ll broaden your horizons, give you some great experiences and good memories.”

Krishnan played the part of St. John Rivers, Jane’s great friend and potential suitor.

“I can’t imagine what I would have done this summer without an outlet for the creativity God has given me,” Krishnan said. “My philosophy is that an artist is not one who creates but who cannot help but create.”

Krishnan said he feels compelled to carry out his love for performing and the stage out all year round. He also said that performance is something created for the audience to take part in and bond with as well.

“In a play, you have to invest everything you have until you have nothing left and then give more. It isn’t about fulfilling the requirements; it is about creating a picture that people who are living their normal, everyday lives will be drawn into, and whose lives will alter and shift because of what they have experienced.”

Many professors also see benefits of being involved outside of school.

“I think that staying involved year-round has definite benefits,” said WSU performing arts professor Michael Palumbo.

“The students involved in these endeavors, including musical ensembles, are most likely planning to be professional performers upon graduation. The more experience you get, the better prepared you are going to be to jump into auditions in the professional venues.”