South Bay Musical Theatre’s production of “Little Women,” which includes cast members from Los Altos and Mountain View, closes this weekend in Saratoga.
Former Broadway performer Janie Scott directs the show, based on the 1868 book by Louisa May Alcott about the four March sisters.
“Families are families,” Scott said. “They always come with drama – that is not brand new. They are the same things families deal with today. All of the many things that go on in the show are very timely so I don’t need to contemporize it to connect with my audience.”
Mountain View resident Aishy Panwar plays oldest sister Meg and Mary Melnick plays mom Marmee. In a supporting role, Mountain View’s Barbara Heninger is Aunt March.
Leah Kennedy, who plays the youngest sister Amy, said being the youngest of six children helped her connect with the dynamic between Amy and her older sisters and channel the frustration Amy felt throughout the show.
“I know what it’s like when the older sisters are getting to do things that you’re not able to do yet, and you’re feeling jealous and spiteful about it,” Kennedy, a nonprofit lawyer and Sunnyvale resident, said. “When Amy blows up at Joe, the first time I did it, I actually felt angry (after) tapping into those memories, that feeling of being overlooked, and like, ‘my time is never going to come.’”
Kennedy added that Scott helped refine her portrayal of Amy, especially with the way she used her voice. Kennedy said Scott’s help and the work of costume designer Sharon Pang paid off, noting that a friend overheard an audience member say Kennedy wasn’t old enough to be cast in the play.
Scott also said she made sure every cast member was doing something meaningful that contributed to the story, whether it was a lead or an ensemble member.
“(The ensemble) is there to help support what’s going on, and it makes everything on stage feel alive,” Scott said. “It makes it all feel like it’s all the same show, and it feels like everybody’s very engaged in telling the story. Anywhere I look, there are things happening.”
Kennedy added that she deeply appreciated Scott’s attention to detail throughout the process, as well as her effort to keep cast members comfortable in their roles.
“Every choice she makes is so intentional,” Kennedy said. “She’s always like, ‘I’m not going to embarrass you with what I asked you to do or the costumes that people put you in.’ I trust her completely. I would do any show with her, she is fantastic to work with.”
Scott said she was grateful to have the opportunity to direct “Little Women.”
“‘Little Women’ was the most incredible experience,” Scott said. “The cast was just so friendly and wonderful to work with. The crew and the rest of the creative staff were so collaborative and workable. I love every piece I’ve ever done, no matter what kind of theater it is, and I’ll keep doing it until I can’t do it anymore.”
Remaining performances of “Little Women,” which opened Jan. 24, are set for 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday at South Bay Musical Theatre, 13777 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga. Tickets are $30-$56.
For tickets, visit tinyurl.com/LittleSouth.
