A HEARTWARMING ADAPTATION
The world premiere of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women adapted by Lauren Gunderson as a co-commission from Northlight Theatre, City Theatre, People’s Light, and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is a delightful yet imperfect exploration of the beloved classic novel. By framing the story with Alcott herself as a narrative presence, Gunderson offers audiences a meta-theatrical glimpse into the novel’s origins, breathing new life into a familiar tale.
Demetra Dee and cast
Erik Hellman, Tyler Meredith
The production’s strength lies in its emotional core. Gunderson’s trademark style — a blend of quippy dialogue and profound sentimentality — shines through. While the flow of dialogue feels sometimes a little clunky, mixing borrowed lines from the book with Gunderson’s own less poetic writing style, the overall narrative arc remains deeply moving, successfully tugging at the heartstrings of theatergoers.
Janyce Caraballo, Lucy Carapetyan, Tyler Meredith, Yourtana Sulaiman, Demetra Dee
For anyone unfamiliar with Little Women, the story follows the lives of four sisters, Jo (Tyler Meredith), Meg (Janyce Caraballo), Amy (Yourtana Sulaiman), and Beth (Demetra Dee) as they grow up in Civil War-era New England. The girls befriend their next-door neighbor, Laurie (John Drea), and grow alongside him under the saintly guidance of their Marmee (Lucy Carapetyan). Shenanigans, hardships, pursuits of self-reliance, and romance follow.
Lucy Carapetyan, Tyler Meredith
Sotirois Livaditis‘s set design is a visual triumph. The enormous picture frame surrounding the stage, with trees growing up around the edges, a wooden floor with painted flowers, and a cottage floating above it all, creates a cozy cottage core tableau. But a striking teal door, the brightest pop of color on set, slowly began to drive me nuts.
Tyler Meredith, Demetra Dee, Janyce Caraballo
Director Georgette Verdin saves this door for a very specific moment in the play, but in prioritizing the use of the door only in that moment, for the rest of the play, characters exit and enter the cottage by walking around the door. One character even enters to a knocking sound effect but still walks around the door. I became convinced the moment of the door was finally used would be utterly spectacular to make up for this nonsensical behavior. Unfortunately, spectacular it was not. It was a poignant moment, but not worth the slow torture of characters bizarrely circumventing this obviously functional set piece. The door became Chekov’s gun if other characters in the Chekov play were also firing a weapon but instead of picking up the gun, they used finger guns and a sound effect. I admit, I was perhaps unreasonably annoyed by this door.
Tyler Meredith, Erik Hellman and cast
Similarly, a moment involving a recorded voice emanating from the piano feels awkward and contrived, momentarily pulling the audience out of the otherwise immersive world of the play. These technical missteps, while minor, interrupt Verdin’s very smartly directed production. Verdin created some deeply emotionally connected and heartwarming moments between the sisters, as well as a delightfully playful dynamic between Jo and Laurie.
Tyler Meredith, John Drea (rear)
Tyler Meredith, John Drea
Even with its quirks, the production remains a heartwarming experience perfect for the holiday season. Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women captures the spirit of Alcott’s narrative –a celebration of sisterhood, resilience, and individual aspiration. Grab your loved ones (especially your sisters) and get ready to hold their hands tight.
Yourtana Sulaiman, Tyler Meredith, Demetra Dee, Janyce Caraballo
photos by Liz Lauren
Yourtana Sulaiman, Tyler Meredith, Lucy Carapetyan, Demetra Dee, Janyce Caraballo
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women
Northlight Theatre
9501 Skokie Boulevard in Skokie (Chicagoland)
ends on January 5, 2025
for tickets ($49-$91), call 847.673.6300 or visit Northlight
for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago
