Director's Notes
I have such fond memories of reading Little Women as a child. It spoke to me as I'm sure it spoke to many girls. I admired Jo, who was my polar opposite. I longed to be bold and brave and outspoken, but the truth was that I identified with Beth, who played the piano and who preferred to stay quietly at home reading. An only child, I wished that I had sisters like the March girls.
Little Women has a long production history. Movie versions were produced in 1917 (the British silent film), 1918 (silent American version), 1939 (starring Katherine Hepburn as Jo, my favorite version), 1949 (the June Allyson, Margaret O'Brien version), 1994 (Wynona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, and Claire Danes), and the popular Greta Gerwig reboot in 2019. Television versions include productions in 1939, 1946, 1950 (two parts), 1958 (a televised musical version), 1958 (six episodes produced by the BBC), 1970 (a six part mini-series), and the PBS Masterpiece, three-episode version in 2018. On stage, it was produced in 1912 as a play, in 1969 as a ballet, and in 1998 as an opera. The 2005 Broadway musical starred Sutton Foster as Jo March, which earned her a Tony nomination as Best Actress in a Musical.
Theatre III is excited and proud to be working once again with Mr. Witt and Mrs. D'Arcangelo and their AP Studies classes to create the collaborative and immersive learning experience that you will enjoy in the theatre lobby. As this project continues to evolve, we are finding new ways to expand learning opportunities by using the connections inherent in our different disciplines to enhance student learning. Theatre III has been especially excited about producing this musical and they have worked exceptionally hard.
We hope you enjoy this evening of theatre and learning.
