It’s almost time for Asbury’s production of “Little Women.”
The cast of the show have been hard at work, wrapping up last rehearsals and tech week. This version of “Little Women” is the play adaptation by Sara Spencer. The director of the production is Asbury senior Hannah Clark.
In describing her experience directing the show, Clark said, “Directing ‘Little Women’ as my senior project has been such a sweet time. I’ve really been able to pour into this cast and, in return, learn a lot from them as well. It’s such a sweet story to tell and we have all really been able to bond over how real these characters are.”
For those who do not know the story, “Little Women,” originally a novel by Louisa May Alcott, focuses on the lives of the spirited teenage March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy—as they navigate the challenges of growing up during the American Civil War. The story explores themes of family, love and personal growth as each sister pursues her dreams. It is a good mix of showing the individual journeys of each sister while sharing a story about sacrifice, resilience and familial friendship as a whole.
The play will take place in the first half of the novel.
The whole cast has worked hard to put together the best and most convincing show. Junior Emma Farrell, who plays Aunt March, said, “For this show, we’ve had a shorter than normal amount of time to work on it, but that means we are just working extra hard to get our blocking and lines together.”
The show has a unique aspect due to the fact that the roles for the March sisters are double cast, meaning there will be double the number of actresses for the roles of the girls.
“This gives equal opportunity, as it allows more students to experience the main roles. It creates a more fun environment with a variety of actresses,” said Farrell.
Through playing the March sisters, the cast has created a family and sisterhood of their own.
“We have all had so much fun. We all love the sisterhood that acting and this show specifically brings. We have come together and are kind of like the ‘Little Women.’ The traits of the March sisters are ones that we all can relate to. We all have something in common with them,” said Farrell.
“Little Women” is a classic American novel that most people are familiar with, even if just by name. This production is a wonderful opportunity for the community to experience a family-centered and rich story filled with valuable lessons.
“This is a family-friendly show, filled with a lot of good moral lessons I think we could all be reminded of right now, and I hope people see the sincerity in how we’ve chosen to tell this beautiful family story,” said Clark.
The production will run in the Greathouse Theatre from Wednesday – Saturday, April 9 – 12. Wednesday and Friday shows are at 7:30 p.m. The Thursday show is at 9:30 p.m. Saturday’s show is at 2 p.m.
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at (https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/asbury-university/67a60bf54917ba4cc512ac44).
For additional questions about the show, email Kristopher Dietrich at (Kristopher.dietrich@asbury.edu).
Photo courtesy of Hannah Clark.
