Franklin Pierce University and Project Shakespeare will present Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, adapted and directed by Deborah Shakespeare Thurber.
The performance will be on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 3 p.m. at the Yvonne Boise Performing Arts Center, Warehouse Theatre, Franklin Pierce University, 40 Pierce Drive, Rindge. A Q&A will follow the performance.
The Civil War has begun and Mr. March has been called to serve leaving his wife Marmee and his four daughters to navigate the world of Concord, Massachusetts without him. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy strive to be brave, intelligent and imaginative young women in a world defined by gender, class and personal tragedy. Each sister negotiates her private ambitions with society’s expectations. Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy will surprise, excite and empower you as they transcend from four dreamers to become imperfect ‘Little Women’.
“What makes this adaptation different is that I have included poems and excerpts of letters from Louisa May Alcott and given them to a group of ‘little women’ narrators,” said Thurber. “So many girls wanted to participate in this project it seemed the perfect way to show the process that all girls experience as they come of age and become little women.”
This performance will be the culmination of a Project Shakespeare program called One Play in One Week. Over the February school break, students join together to rehearse, stage and perform the play in one week’s time – quite a challenge but one that Project Shakespeare students are excited to take on.
The ensemble cast includes: Brooke Burman, Molly Burman, Kaia Colby, Kaya Feltus, Abigail Hampson, Julianna Joslyn, Alyssia Maki, Helen Martynuska, Harold Thomas McCarthy, Yar Petrov, Aram Russell, Aurora Sousa, Sophia Spingola, Indigo Wolf, and Kali Zaffrann. The production crew includes: Grace Ramsden, stage manager; Benjamin Michaud, assistant stage manger; and Kaitlynn Shea, board operator.
Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for FPU students and children 12 and under, and are available a half hour prior to curtain.
On March 1 at 1 p.m., Project Shakespeare will join Serini Tea and the Monadncok Inn at a High Tea event featuring scenes from “Little Women”. Enjoy fresh baked scones accompanied by a selection of fine tea, homemade soup, fresh seasonal salad, a medley of finger sandwiches and an assortment of petite desserts. Tickets are $45 per person (tax and gratuity not included.) The Monadnock Inn is located at 379 Main St., Jaffrey. For ticket information on this event and reservations call (603) 400-3030.
For more information visit projectshakespeare.org.