The Milwaukee Rep presents: LITTLE WOMEN

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents LITTLE WOMEN in the Quadracci Powerhouse January 16–February 18, 2024. Pictured Rebecca Cort, Katie Peabody, Colleen Madden, Amelio García, and Cy Paolantonio. Photo by Michael Brosilow

By Mary Boyle

Louisa May Alcott's famous semi-autobiographical novel, Little Women, originally published as two separate volumes in 1868 and 1869, was an instant success that has never fallen out of fashion.  Inspiring several film versions, including the most recent one from 2019 starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep,  and Timothee Chalamet, the novel has also inspired several stage adaptations, beginning with one for Broadway in 1912 and, more recently, an adaptation that made its world premier in 2018 in Minneapolis by Kate Hamill.  Known for writing contemporary plays adapted from classic novels, Hamill has become one of the most-produced playwrights in the country since she was named "Playwright of the Year" by The Wall Street Journal in 2017.  Now, Milwaukee audiences can enjoy this most recent production of LITTLE WOMEN through February 18th, courtesy of The Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Little Women is a coming of age story set during America's Civil War in Concord, Massachusetts, where the four March sisters and their mother, who they lovingly refer to as Marmee (Colleen Madden), are doing their best to keep their household afloat while Mr. March is off fighting in the War.  The oldest sister, Meg (Cy Paolantonio), works as a governess to help earn money for the family, while Jo (Amelio Garcia), the second oldest, works for their rich aunt (also played by Madden). A tomboy and aspiring writer, Jo has no interest in leading the life that is expected of a young woman. Beth (Katie Peabody), the third youngest, is a fragile and timid girl, content to stay home with her family, while Amy (Rebecca Cort), the baby, cannot wait to grow up.  Their lives begin to change when they become acquainted with their new neighbor, Laurie (Austin Winter), an orphaned teenage boy who has come to live with his grandfather, Mr. Laurence (Chiké Johnson).  

Directed by Marti Lyons, Hamill's adaptation, by necessity, streamlines Alcott's lengthy novel in order to fit it into an acceptable run time, which is to be expected; however, the resulting tale is very nearly relying on the audience's familiarity with the story to fill in some of the blanks that are left.  Fans of the novel will note that some of the details of the main characters have also been changed, and while some have been made to give more focus to certain topics in the story, other changes seem unnecessary.  Nonetheless, the heart of the tale is left intact, and those who are unfamiliar with the story will inevitably fall in love with it, as everyone else has for the past several generations, and those who know it well will undoubtedly come to see it in a new light.

In its time, Little Women was somewhat radical in that it normalized nontraditional paths for women and legitimized their dreams to become something beyond mothers, while still honoring the importance and value of family and home -- concepts that we still struggle with, today.  Furthermore, the story portrayed the idea of a "democratic family," in which the members were equal individuals with individual aspirations, regardless of gender.  The character of Jo, in particular, as an unabashed tomboy, challenged gender norms for young women; this aspect, in particular, is what Hamill focuses on.  Amelio Garcia, as a transmasc actor (a person who is assigned female at birth, but who identifies as male and lives as a man), is perfectly cast in the role of Jo.  While Alcott, herself, may have simply wanted the same autonomy and independence as a man while still being a woman (after all, Jo does eventually fall in love and get married in the book), casting a trans actor in this role gives a new and timely lens to the story, while still retaining Jo's words, written nearly 150 years ago. 

Little Women, I think, has remained popular in large part because of its rare focus on the complexities of growing up as a woman in our culture; unfortunately, in all this time, that really hasn't gotten any less complex.  Gender, as a whole, is a topic that feels more full of complexities than ever, and yet the way Hamill tells the story suggests that perhaps these seemingly modern complexities have always been there, along with the solution to them.  Marmee's response to all of Jo's frustration about being expected to behave like a lady seems perfectly natural: acceptance, empathy, love, and understanding.  Played brilliantly by Colleen Madden, Marmee is a mother who clearly loves each of her children unconditionally, equally, fiercely, and without any judgement.  She cherishes her role as a mother without having any expectation of her children to be like her, yet her children clearly cherish their mother, though they do not necessarily want to follow in her footsteps.  One can't help but wonder what the world would look like if we all had parents like Marmee.  

With a talented cast of largely debut actors, anchored by Milwaukee favorites Madden and Johnson, Hamill's Little Women is a funny, heartwrenching, endearing, thought-provoking, tear-jerking, and altogether lovely production that reaffirms why Alcott's classic tale endures.  Don't miss this one.

LITTLE WOMEN runs through February 18th, 2024, in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, located at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or in-person at the Box Office.  For more information visit www.Milwaukeerep.com.

Access ServicesASL Interpreted Performance: Thursday, February 1, 7:30pm – the show will be signed for patrons who are deaf or have low hearing.
Sensory Friendly All Access Performance: Tuesday, February 6 at 6:30pm – tickets are $10, to purchase and for more information visit: 
https://tickets.milwaukeerep.com/56057/60544/
Captioned Theater Performance: Sunday, February 18, 2pm – the show includes captions.


About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin with three unique performance venues in the Associated Bank Theater Center. For over seven decades, Milwaukee Rep has been a centerpiece of Milwaukee’s vibrant arts and cultural scene with productions ranging from Broadway musicals to Shakespeare to American Classics and New Works that are entertaining, inclusive, and impactful. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Clements and Executive Director Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Repertory Theater ignites positive change in the cultural, social, and economic vitality of its community by creating world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity.