Little Women stealing the South Simcoe stage
By Susan Stein

Actors from Little Women run through the play during a dress rehearsal last week. The play will run at the South Simcoe Theatre in Cookstown until Dec. 2. For more information, visit www.southsimcoetheatre.com.

There is the book with Louisa Alcott's story Little Women, there was a play and movie on television.

Now there it is presented on the stage of South Simcoe Theatre in Cookstown. This time it is set to the music and lyrics of Canadian composer Jim Betts, with a book by Nancy Early. And let me tell you it is a masterpiece, superb from each and every angle, from the calibre, commitment of actors, stage crew, set, costume designer, lighting, musicians and the unmatched direction of Scott Hurst, the dedication of producer Margery Cruise and musical director Meaghan Hope. For those, not familiar with the story, a short synopsis: The play begins on Christmas Eve in the March home in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1864 during the Civil War.

The head of the March family is serving the army as chaplain and his "Little Women" - Jo, Meg, Amy, Beth, try to carry on their lives without him. The mother Marmee arrives home to find the four March girls preparing to receive guests for their annual Christmas Eve celebration with food and drinks and the annual Josephine March melodrama. Just when the guests arrive, the often unpleasant Aunt March comes in, announcing that her Christmas present this year will be to adopt one of the March girls, to help with the financial burden of the March family.

It is right away made clear to her by Jo and mother Marmee that this charity is unwanted and the party ends abruptly.

The March's are invited to the new year's party at their neighbours, the Laurences home. Jo finally get to meet Laurie (Theodore) Laurence, who after the death of his parents, comes home from Europe, needing the guidance of his grandfather.

But grandfather has different plans for this aspiring concert pianist; he wants him to join his firm. Both Laurie and Jo are dreamers and their fast friendship once more is the catalyst for Jo acting out in a rather non-conforming way. Again the family is in disgrace and Aunt March wants to teach them how to behave in Concord society.

During the fast moving scenes, the story unfolds with the four March girls singing, telling their dreams, their ambitions: To be wealthy, to have creative freedom, for status, for a career in writing. In the end, each member of the family achieves some facet of their potential and even Aunt March turns out to have the potential of a warmhearted, understanding person.

It is the songs in Little Women that makes this Canadian musical so enchanting; songs, which transmit the sentiment and the mood of each scene to the audience. Songs, delivered with an elocution, with such wonderful voices, that one can only listen with awe and admiration.

Most of all the number "When Father comes Home" and the song "This Family" strike a cord, reminding us of Canadian fathers, sons and brothers now serving with the armed forces in far away places.

Let me present to you the cast: Leanne Miller- Josephine - Jo March; Beth Allen - Marmee; Kristen Alary - Meg; Alexandra Potvin - Amy; Reva Timbers - Beth; mary-Florence Bartley - Aunt March; Andrew Nikkanen - Laurie; Alex Dvorak - Mr. Brooke; John Ritchie - Mr. Laurence; Natalie Khalil - Sally Gardner; Hayden Bristow - Messenger and the cast: Rose Craig, Valerie Dunne, Kathryn Gillespie, Megh Kavanagh, Hayden Bristow and Dave MacDonald.

Little Women plays until Dec. 2, each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.