little women

Director’s Note

I have no sisters.  I grew up in a family of boys.  And yet, when someone asks me what moment I most relate to in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, I laugh because I could never choose just one.  My brothers and I endured arguments, made up plays, got into wrestling matches, helped each other through heartaches, provided support for one another in ups and downs that so closely resemble those of the four March sisters that picking only one is impossible.

This story transports us back in time 150 years when smartphones, tablets, e-readers, computers, social networking, televisions, telephones, fast food and drive-thrus didn’t exist.  This was a time when imagination was the key ingredient to childhood games, families sat around telling stories, people danced for fun and everyone knew all the moves.  Families were parted by war, wrote letters by hand, and waited months to hear from each other.  There was no instant access to news or entertainment.  Imagination didn’t happen on a screen in front of us, but rather all around us as children played make believe, adults danced in beautiful attire, and everyone engaged in physical labor on a daily basis. And yet . . . people loved, laughed, cried, yearned for success, died needlessly, fought wars, and underwent the very same coming of age experiences that we endure today. 

This musical is a journey of hope, love and imagination.  It is a story about all families.  Anyone with a younger sibling knows Amy; all families have an Aunt March; and all of us have a little of Jo in us, searching to find our way and our place in life.  Life is constantly changing and we are constantly trying to adapt.  

I invite you, the audience, to sit back and let your imagination surround you as we take you through the astonishing (yes, I said it!) adventure that is life.

-Stephanie Dean