Little Women
at Woodbridge Senior High School

Reviewed on November 19, 2021

Elli Vlattas
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

"Tell me a story, Jo, tell me a real story," asks Beth throughout the difficult trials and tribulations that the March sisters face. Woodbridge Senior High School presents the classic story of Little Women, filled with captivating vocal expression, spectacular emotions, and dynamic physicality that allows the audience to follow Jo's challenging journey of self-discovery.

The play was written by Kate Hamill and was adapted from the novel of the same name written by Louisa May Alcott. Little Women has been adapted many times including a musical, which originally debuted in 2000, and several film adaptations, the most recent premiering in 2019.

The production follows Jo March, an aspiring writer, and her three sisters: Meg, Beth, and Amy. Jo and her sisters begin to work on her play over a span of three years, with the help and encouragement from their neighbor, Laurie. Throughout the show, Jo bickers with her sisters, who want her to grow up and become a lady, but Jo wants to focus on her story which will help her become a notable writer.

Emma Howard starred as the dynamic and passionate Jo March. Howard's ability to change her emotions throughout her many interactions with Laurie, such as being furious to being filled with despair, left no doubt about her impressive acting range. Her detailed facial expression punctuated the emotions she felt, especially when she talked about her father or Beth. Owen Meyer played the vivacious and active Laurie. Meyer's shift in maturity from youthful and immature to sophisticated and intelligent allowed him to demonstrate the years passing and his own character's growth. The connection between Howard and Meyer illustrated Jo and Laurie's deep friendship, especially whenever they would sword fight during Jo's play rehearsals.

Christina Hayes transformed into the young and self-centered Amy. Her ability to show her fiery spirit (displayed in her battles with Jo) contrasted her proper and refined actions (displayed in her flirtations with Laurie) added to many of her scenes. Hayes' childish energy brought a uniqueness to her portrayal of Amy. Madeleine Doyle starred as the innocent and timid Beth. Doyle's clear line delivery presented her character as the "conscience" throughout the production and was a clear mediator between the sisters. Doyle also used silence to add an eerie nature to several of the melancholy scenes. The connection between the March sisters was fascinating and created a sisterly environment, featured throughout the loving Christmas scenes and the heated fights.

Alongside the spectacular acting were the eye-catching technical aspects. The classical sets (designed by Kline Howell and Patrick Tafe) transformed the stage into the 19th century. The masterfully crafted set featured a two-story house, which evoked the warmth of the family who resided within it. The set also contained period furniture that created important smaller scenes. The lighting (designed Chloe Wright and Elijah Gibson) shined by adding multiple emotional moments throughout the production by shifting lighting focus to different areas of the stage.

A beautiful and real story was told at Woodbridge Senior High School's production of Little Women and it demonstrated how a tight family bond can never be broken.

Leila Jones
Chantilly High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

"Nothing Lasts Forever." This holds true for these sisters as they traverse the tides of gender roles, motherhood, sickness, and maturity. Woodbridge Senior High School puts on a spectacular display of "Little Women", amazingly tackling this classic coming-of-age tale.

The novel "Little Women" was published in 1869, written by Louisa May Alcott. Her writings depicted strong women of the 19th century and the story of the March family is no exception. The March home, set in 1861-1864, is one of laughter and strife, as their father is off fighting in the war and they struggle through their own emotional battles. Each sister has their distinct personality, often clashing as sisters do when confined in a small space. Jo, ambitious with grandiose dreams of being a writer, is wonderfully depicted by Emma Howard. The moment the curtains opened, she perfectly characterized Jo's steadfast character with every strong, unwavering monologue. Her ability to interact with her sisters through ad-libs and witty side conversations brought the home together, showing the true nature of a household of sisters. Delivering a convincing youngest sister, Christina Hayes depicted the young, rambunctious Amy. Through the way she flailed to the ground to fumbling over words with confidence, she provided much-needed comedic relief with superb timing.

The chemistry of these characters illustrated a bond beyond friends - a true family. Even in the silence, there were emotions communicated. The portrayal of Laurie Laurence by Owen Meyer spoke to this subtle nature of connecting with others. When he was not the center of attention, he could be found stumbling through the piano with Beth and wiggling his toes with Jo. His ability to interact and bond with the sisters depicts the charming boy-next-door nature of Laurie.

The costumes chosen encapsulated each character's defined identity. Jo's manly behavior was partnered with her pants and dress shirt. Even when in a dress, it was stained and tattered, complimenting the character's tomboy nature. Meg, sweet-natured and vain, floated across the stage in dresses with hoop skirts, swaying with her every move. On the other hand, the dutiful Beth who helped keep the family together was never fancy, spending the show in simple, plain dresses. Additionally, Laurie's character was remarkably accompanied as his clothing evolves from baggy to fit while he grew into his life as a gentleman.

While the play was happening on the stage, lighting directed by Chloe Wright and Elijah Gibson hinted at a world beyond the home as orange and blue hues came in from the window, changing color to show the passing of time. The set was marvelous, bringing an additional dimension to the small home of the poor March family, covered with antiques and meticulously chosen wallpapers.

As for creativity, there was an abundance. The team of Dustin Clarke, Emma Piper, and Makayla Arnold aided in capturing the era while providing the audience with modern cues to follow. Their work could be seen in the use of "Yellow" by Coldplay instead of a traditional Waltz. And their work to incorporate live music during scene changes and emotionally moving moments was effective and well-executed.

Although maneuvering through the societal expectations of this 19th-century world came with its kinks, Woodbridge Senior High School's production of "Little Women" was incredibly navigated by a believable cast and notable crew.

Beverly D'Andrea
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

Whether a rock or a rose, everyone has a place in this world–if only you have the guts to inhabit it. Aspiring writer Jo March struggled to find this place as her unwavering commitment to her unconventional ideas of femininity incensed her 1860s world to the point of ostracism. Fortunately, Jo was not alone; her family, sweet Beth, practical Meg, incorrigible Amy, and loving Marmee, supported her, sometimes wildly exasperated her, and above all showed her that everyone's role was worthy. Woodbridge Senior High School's production of Little Women proved that following your heart is the only way to true happiness.

The play, based on the 1869 book of the same name by Louisa May Alcott, was the most recent of numerous stage adaptations of the original book, this version being written by Kate Hamill and originally premiering in Minneapolis in 2018. The tale that has charmed the world for years got a new spin at Woodbridge Senior High School as the new wrinkle of gender identity was layered into Jo's general feelings of otherness.

As the quippy second-eldest March, Jo, was Emma Howard. The cohesiveness of Howard's performance across the span of the show showed how much she understood her character as she captured Jo's clever mind through cutting jibes at her younger sister Amy, while also bringing out Jo's vulnerability through defeated physicality in poignant scenes with Beth. Amy and Beth March were played by Christina Hayes and Madeleine Doyle respectively. Hayes played up Amy's prissy nature with over-the-top physicality while still capturing her bitter turn as childish petulance becomes grown-up resentment. Where Amy was acrid, Doyle's Beth was sweet. Doyle's captured Beth's steady strength throughout and Doyle's sincere physicality brought out Beth's sunshiny personality with the settling subtleness of a blanket tucking you. The final March sister, motherly Meg, was played by Makayla Arnold. Meg's bumbling desire to be ladylike was displayed by Arnold in her sweetly inept attempts to flirt with an equally inept Mr. Brooks (Patrick Tafe). The March sisters were different but the bond between them was cultivated by the actors and shone bright throughout the performance.

Close family friend Laurie was played with endearing sincerity by Owen Meyers as the actor captured Laurie's teddy-bear persona with a single wiggle of his toes. Meyers brought out all the arresting whimsicality of the character through his funny exchanges with the sisters and airy physicality. The rock of the March house, Marmee, was played by Audrey Evans with loving confidence. Evans infused the character with love and her devotion for the four girls was unmistakable in her fierce embraces.

To bring the audience more deeply into the March's world, the set (Kline Howell and Patrick Tafe) was all encompassing, including multiple levels and a glowing hearth. The set's elaborateness served to emulate the complexities of the family within and bring the audience into their cozy bond. The lighting design (Chloe Wright and Elijah Gibson) accented the mood of the show also adding reality. The window of the March house had yellow light shining through, alluding to the world beyond the house, which changed to blue light when Jo was bereaved. The props (Audrey Evans and Madeleine Doyle) were all historically accurate thereby building the world of the show. The real food consumed by the actors on stage added a priceless element of reality.

Beth was right all along, the best stories are the real ones, and the realest stories are the ones about who we are, not who society mandates we should be.

Moyo Ifafore
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Submitted for publication to Lorton Valley Star

"This is a story for, and about all of us," Jo says, the stage filling with the various characters whom the audience has come to love and hate. Meet the March family, as they grow older, process grief, and find love, in Kate Hamill's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, at Woodbridge Senior High School.

Jo, Amy, Beth and Meg are four sisters, living in the United States during the Civil War. Being women in this time, they all want to survive, but go about it in different ways. Jo, the main character, and her search for her purpose in a world that doesn't care for women, is at the heart of the play. It is a feminist work, set in a time before feminism was a concept.

Intimacy was at the heart of this production. The coziness of the March Home allowed us to feel privy to their highest and lowest moments as a family. The acting, sound, music, lighting and set design helped create this intimate world. Each aspect of the show blended together smoothly.

At the heart of the show is Emma Howard, portraying Jo March. Howard was always in character as Jo, never once dropping out. Because she was always in character, her castmates were equally immersed in the world. She portrayed the harrowing conflict with herself in a way that was realistic. In the second act, especially, you began to relate to her. When her manuscript was destroyed, you felt the anger and grief that she did. Emma Howard fulfilled the role of the lead in this production.

Then come the other March Sisters. Meg (Makayla Arnold), who delivered a hilarious and yet, unfortunate monologue about the realities of motherhood. Amy (Christina Hayes) served as the perfect foil to Jo. Her presence was unforgettable, and her actions were always clear and motivated, no matter how reprehensible. Yet, it was the quiet, and demure nature of Beth portrayed by Madeleine Doyle, that truly stole the show. Her call to Jo, telling her not to give up, lightened up the depressing end of the second act. She showed that there was, in fact, hope, even in death.

Dustin Clarke, who served as an assistant director in the production made many good choices. He gave the student-based orchestra original music choices. Dustin said that he combined both the modern music of today, with the music of the period the play was set in. These songs helped transitions, and remind us of the themes of the play. For example, "All of Me," was transposed for a classical orchestra, right as Laurie and Jo begin accepting one another for what they were. Their curves and their edges, in this case, were their inability to live up to the gender roles of the time.

Sickness, love, death, grief, purpose. Little Women was a show for and about the middle-class American family, struggling to survive. Woodbridge Senior High School's Theatre Arts allowed us to laugh, to cry, to yell, and most importantly, to empathize in a time where empathy is so rare.