Louisa May Alcott wrote “Little Women” to celebrate the small feats women had following the Civil War period. Many women were not honored as heroes during this time and were not provided the recognition they deserved as the talented, hardworking people that they were.
The TheatreWorks’ version is from Lauren Gunderson, a Bay Area playwright known for credits such as “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” “The Revolutionists” and “The Half-Life of Marie Curie,”. She created this story to examine the context of the story from Alcott’s perspective, showing her on stage and acting as the narrator who shows the inspriations for each member of the Marsh family – her actual sister and mother.
Elissa Beth Stibbins, who played both the story’s author and Jo Marsh, the savvy sister known to be good with words and to write brilliant stories. Stibbens’ characters are similar; they drive the story forward and were inspirations to their sisters for achieving what they wanted out of life.
The other Marsh sisters all had their own interests: Meg (Emily Ota), the oldest sister, enjoyed the simpler life and chose marriage over a possible career; Beth (Lauren Hart), a homebody who enjoyed entertaining her family with her piano; and Sharon Shao (Amy), an artist who romanticized life. All the sisters chose a path that suited them and everyone respected how they wanted to live. Everyone understood the rules of society and found a niche where they could support each other in their endeavors.
Although this play is similar in fashion to a typical romance story where Jo may have a possible match with Laurie (Max Tachis), there is a second act in this story that shows Jo taking risks that no one in her family suspects her of taking. Gunderson’s version of this story celebrates the many occasions of life and learning how to overcome every obstacle society tries to trap one in. The show demonstrates that when a family sticks together, they can achieve anything they dream of.
“Little Women” will be performing at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. For information on ticket prices and dates, visit theatreworks.org/mainstage/season-55.
