Are you an Amy, Beth, Jo or Meg? Or maybe you’re a Laurie or a Marmee! No matter which character you see yourself in, this playful and theatrical new adaptation of Little Women will captivate those who are familiar with the story as well as a new generation of theatregoers.

Headstrong heroine Jo March and her family have charmed audiences for generations. This classic coming-of-age drama has been a cultural mainstay and cornerstone of American literature since the novel was originally published in 1868, inspiring countless adaptations in all forms including movies, television shows, a ballet, an opera and a musical. Now, acclaimed playwright Lauren M. Gunderson has created a fresh stage adaptation that blurs the lines between heroine and author. The script opens with Louisa May Alcott working on the manuscript that eventually became Little Women, and audiences will see Louisa and her real-life family transform on stage into the quick-witted Jo, responsible Meg, gentle Beth and spirited Amy that we all know and love. This unique take includes direct quotes from Alcott’s text — allowing characters on stage to speak and think in the same language as the characters in the novel.

Gunderson is one of America’s most produced playwrights, known for her hit plays that often put spirited, courageous women center stage. Playhouse audiences may remember Gunderson’s work from The Revolutionists and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.

“Lauren’s adaptation honors the beauty and longing of Alcott’s novel while also digging into its urgency: these women’s courage, their frustrations, their hunger for more,” Associate Artistic Director and Little Women Director Joanie Schultz said about the script.

As with any adaptation, the biggest challenge isn’t just to retell a beloved story, but to make it feel dynamic and relevant to today’s audience.

Above: The cast of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women at Portland Center Stage. Photo by Jingzi Zhao.

“The challenge, and the gift, is letting go of what we think we know about Little Women,” Schultz said. “We all have images of these characters from past adaptations, but my job is to find the truth of who they are right now, with this cast, in this space. That means making bold, specific choices that allow these people to feel fully alive, not frozen in someone else’s vision."

This production is a co-production, a special partnership between two theatres working on a single play, with Portland Center Stage in Oregon, featuring actors from both cities. The show will make its way to Cincinnati after starting in Portland, proving that this story not only appeals to multiple generations, but also appeals to multiple audiences on different sides of the U.S.

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women allows the audience to remember the resonance of the themes in the original and examine how they are still relevant to us today.

“This story speaks to longing — for independence, belonging, purpose, love — things that never stop being relevant,” Schultz said. “Louisa’s courage to write this novel, to create art from her life, paved the way for me to be here now: directing this play, owning my home, living an independent life as a woman and an artist. Through her words, her family becomes our family and reminds us of the shoulders we stand on. When I’m working on this play, I can almost feel them there — Louisa and her family — their voices, their hopes, their persistence, echoing through the story.”