"Little Women" at the Guthrie Theater

Lousia May Alcott's 1868 novel Little Women has been adapted into countless movies, plays, TV series, even a Broadway musical, and our own Collide Theatrical Dance Company recently turned it into an original dance musical. Now Lauren Gunderson, one of America's most produced playwrights of recent years, with a penchant for writing female-focused historical or literary-inspired plays that are fresh, funny, and feminist, has thrown her hat into the ring. And friends, this may be my favorite Little Women adaptation yet. Gunderson (who was in the house opening night) frames her play as a story within a story, placing Alcott and her real family on stage as they transform into the March family, which allows for context and commentary on this beloved tale. Now and in the past, women and girls are hungry for stories that center us in all our complexities and messiness, because for so long we've been marginalized in stories, in history, and in our own lives. In that respect, Lousia May Alcott and Lauren Gunderson are a match made in literary theatrical heaven. The Guthrie's production features a fantastic local cast and gorgeous design, and had me in tears multiple times throughout the story. Whether you're a fan of this story or not, don't miss this fresh new take on a classic that's still respectful of the source (continuing through June 21 - I'll be going back to see it again).

The story begins with Louisa May Alcott (who preferred to be called Lou) reluctantly beginning to write a book for girls, at the encouragement of her publisher. She then begins to introduce each of her three sisters, or rather, they enter and introduce themselves. Then they transform into the March sisters, which are more heightened and dramatic versions of themselves. We then plunge into the familiar events of the novel, until the end of Act I brings the end of the first half of the novel as originally published, and Lou's family encourage her to keep writing. Act II recounts the second half of the novel, leaving childhood behind for marriage, travels, careers, and death that comes with adulthood. 

Marmie and her "little women" (May Heinecke, Audrey Parker,
George Keller, Stephanie Anne Bertumen, and Isabella Star LaBlanc)
(photo by Dan Norman)

Maybe I'm still basking in the glow of opening night, but this may be my favorite adaptation of Little Women that I've seen. The story has never felt so fresh and immediate, the characters so sharply drawn and breathtakingly alive. The play is written with the characters often narrating their actions, which gives greater insight into their inner lives, and makes the language of the novel come alive. I'm not sure how much of the play is Alcott and how much is Gunderson, but it's funny and surprising, tender and sad, moving and delightful at every turn. And it's really fun to hear the Alcott sisters talk about the reception the book received (people were not happy that Jo didn't marry Laurie, but she made up for it with the umbrella moment), and what happened in their lives after the events of the novel. #bringtissues

the umbrella moment between Jo
(Isabella Star LaBlanc) and her Professor
(Joe Bigelow, photo by Dan Norman)

It's a beautifully and smartly written play, but much credit must also be given to director Jackson Gay, making her Guthrie debut, for lifting it off the page and breathing life into this story that never lags, that flows from one scene to the next. Under her direction, this truly wonderful ten-person cast feels like a family, and also distinct and specific individuals. The four sisters are perfectly cast, three of them new to the Guthrie but not new to #TCTheater. Isabella Star LaBlanc has been seen at the Jungle and other stages around town, and on TV in True Detective: North Country (in which she played Jodie Foster's daughter) and Dexter: Resurrection, and is finally on stage at the Guthrie. She beautifully embodies all that is our Jo - smart and strong and impulsive, desperately in love with her family, and always searching for something more. Stephanie Anne Bertumen (the one March sister returning to the Guthrie stage) is the epitome of sweet eldest sister Meg; Audrey Parker is an adorable spitfire as youngest Amy, who gets to mature a little in Act II; and May Heinecke is good gentle Beth who had me in tears from her first entrance to her early exit. George Keller is the warm and maternal Marmee, which doesn't stop her from dryly firing off a couple of comedic zingers, and also in one scene transforms into the dour Aunt Marsh. I don't think Bill McCallum has a single line of dialogue, but he is still able to portray everything we needed to know about the kindly Mr. Lawrence and the beloved father. Daniel Petzold is charming and energetic as Laurie, the perfect foil to Jo; recent U of M/Guthrie BFA graduate Logan Lang makes his debut on the big stage as the awkwardly charming John, Meg's future husband; and Joe Bigelow, who doesn't show up until Act II, is so lovely as Jo's German-accented Professor Bhaer that it's easy to see why he's the one to finally win her heart.

the sisters go on an adventure with their friends
(photo by Dan Norman)

The Guthrie stage has been transformed into the woods of the New England, with huge trees towering over a grassy field with different colored patches of grasses and flowers. The period furniture of the March home is strewn around the open area, so that we are both indoors and outdoors at all times. The language is so descriptive as to create a picture in the mind's eye, whether a grand ballroom, an icy river, or a crowded boarding house. The change of seasons is marked by the gentle fall of snow, or flowers, or leaves, as well as warm lighting. Music is a part of the March's life, and we hear snippets of it when the sisters play piano, or as an underscore, along with sound effects of nature or an approaching carriage. The period costumes are gorgeous but not over the top, that is until we get to grown-up Amy's Act II look with mountains of pink ruffles. But mostly they're modest and muted, as much as can be with huge hoop skirts, with matching coats, hats, or scarves. (Scenic design by Junghyun Georgia Lee, costume design by Jessica Ford, lighting design by Paul Whitaker, sound design and composition by Matthew M. Nielson).

In the bathroom line at intermission, I heard a couple of little girls discussing which March sister they each were (I'm a Jo, in cast that wasn't already obvious). I'm not sure there's better evidence for the lasting legacy of Louisa May Alcott, that nearly 160 years after it was first published, girls still see themselves in this story. And now, with a fresh new take by one of our best playwrights Lauren Gunderson, it's even... I won't say better, because how could it be better than a novel that has never gone out of print and is an ever-present part of our culture? But perhaps with this adaptation the story speaks more clearly to today's audience, and feels more alive and present than it ever has before.