Florida State University’s School of Theatre is staging “You on the Moors Now,” a play by Jaclyn Backhaus that brings together leading female characters from classic literature. The production will run from October 31 to November 9 at The Lab Theatre on the FSU campus.
The play features Elizabeth Bennet, Catherine Earnshaw, Jane Eyre, and Jo March—characters from “Pride and Prejudice,” “Wuthering Heights,” “Jane Eyre,” and “Little Women.” In this version, the heroines reject traditional roles and reshape their stories in a contemporary context.
Director Jasmine Bracey said, “William Shakespeare wrote, ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.’ This show takes that idea and pulls it apart — examining the tension between the roles we’re assigned and the people we’re becoming.”
FSU students Onyekachi Anyagaligbo (Elizabeth Bennet), Caitlyn Hagney (Cathy), Charlotte Fletcher (Jane Eyre), and Brooke Culp (Jo March) lead the cast. Other cast members include Linus O’Palick as Heathcliff, Jason Alvarez as Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gordon Cunningham as Mr. Rochester, and Casey MacLeod as Laurie Laurence.
Bracey described the production as an exploration of identity and society. “This play dives into the deconstruction and reconstruction of self, love and society, asking: Who defines us? What do we stand for? What happens when we step into the unknown?” she said. “With humor, absurdity and heart, ‘You on the Moors Now’ transforms the romantic tropes of 19th-century literature into a modern battlefield of ideas — reminding us that some truths, and some questions, are timeless.”
The creative team includes scenic designer Anna Grigo, costume designer Makenzie Vaughan, and lighting designer Naiomy Pérez Del Valle.
“You on the Moors Now” was originally developed with John Kurzynowski and Theatre Reconstruction Ensemble. The production is presented through special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC for Dramatists Play Service.
Tickets are available at tickets.theatre.fsu.edu. More information about FSU School of Theatre’s 2025-26 season can be found at theatre.fsu.edu.
