Red Magnolia Theatre Company’s upcoming production of “Little Women” by Heather Chrisler and directed by Makaylee Secrest is a new spin on Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel of the same name.
The Victorian classic tells the story of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, as they navigate the complexities of growing into themselves and womanhood in the midst of the American Civil War. Alcott’s novel continues to resonate with young women over 150 years later and has inspired countless adaptations across all forms of media, including film, T.V. and theatre.
“The kind of enduring theme that we’re really latching onto is the idea of coming of age and growing up, meaning that in some ways, you have to grow apart from certain things,” Secrest said. “Exploring the way that loss, whether it be people in our lives or our youth or our dreams, kind of informs our identities.”
This production is unique from other adaptations of “Little Women” for a variety of reasons. For example, the cast is composed of four actors tasked with playing both the sisters and the additional male roles. This double casting required the actors to do a lot of physical movement work and reflection to help them develop two distinct characters.
“As a cast, we did some movement work to kind of work along with how we felt our characters embodied elements, as well as animals,” Courtney Murphy, who plays Meg March and Frederick Bhaer, said. “Personally, I just spend a lot of time with the text. I’ll look at the words. I like to hear the way my fellow actors communicate with one another, and then just kind of work with that.”
Some of the actors are also able to draw upon their own lived experiences to relate to their roles and better get into character. Arden Hale, the actor playing Jo March, struggles to relate to some of Jo’s more selfish qualities, but she understands the character’s longing for more in life.
“I certainly relate to Jo as being a person that is dissatisfied, not in a negative way, with the world around her,” Hale said. “But just always looking for– there’s got to be something else, right? There’s got to be something more.”
The script itself is also markedly different from previous staged productions. Chrisler’s retelling relates the story through the use of imagination and found objects on the stage. This inventive take on “Little Women” creates a more dynamic and playful tone throughout while still preserving the sentimentality and love that exists at the heart of the play.
“It’s very sentimental and sweet and will leave your heart full,” Secrest said. “But I also think it’s a lot funnier than other versions. It’s a lot more inventive and playful, I think, that people will expect from “Little Women.”
Red Magnolia’s “Little Women” will have showings April 4-5 at 7:30 p.m. and April 6 at 2 p.m. at Theatre Baton Rouge’s The Studio, located at 7155 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge. A special performance in collaboration with LSU Rural Life Museum will be April 11 at 7:30 p.m. at 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge. Tickets can be purchased here.
