This review was written by a TeenTix KC teen who is learning about arts journalism through the Press Corps, which provides teens with training and tools to respond to their arts experiences. TeenTix KC seeks to engage teens in the arts and amplify their voices. This may be the first time this teen has publicly expressed their opinion about an arts experience. Thank you for reading and supporting this teen’s development as an arts journalist.
When I look back on The Baladeer Theatre Company’s original adaptation of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, one snapshot sears itself into my mind: four young ladies kneeling beside a worn armchair, listening to their mother read a letter from their father and wondering if he’ll ever come home. The firelight dances across the backdrop, and the stage lights illuminate Jo’s reassuring smile, a complement to Meg reaching for Amy’s hand. I have seen this picture before, I realize, on my copy of Little Women, but to see it brought to life on a stage, until recently, seemed impossible.
Little Women follows four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—as they lumber through their adolescence, set against the backdrop of the Civil War. As their father serves in the army, the story focuses on the ways the girls’ paths create friction against their “castles in the sky” and the shenanigans that they get up to along the way. The play adaptation by Will Gurley, Savannah Dove, and Kayli Gurley was a faithful adaptation with a few impactful changes.
This rendition of Little Women came with one major change: a “friendship” ring given to Laurie by a young Jo during their first meeting at the party. Laurie cherished the ring, keeping it on throughout the play—much to Jo’s oblivious amusement—and only took it off once he moved on from his romantic love for her. There was no mention of the ring in the books, and while it was minor, the symbolic change created a ripple in Laurie’s character arc: one that’s difficult to convey without the subtle ways Isma Michel portrayed the pain of young, naive love. Watching it for myself, the way Little Women worked the ring into the narrative didn’t make sense to me. After all, it’s a little odd to give someone a ring, especially platonically, after one meeting. However, in the end, the ring served its purpose to the fullest, creating a vessel to represent Laurie’s growth, not just as a friend, but as a young man.
To me, this play felt like spending time with an old friend. Everything about it was a nod to its source material: from Beth’s piano music playing in the background throughout the scene changes to Amy’s indignant yet hilarious delivery of “your only beauty!” after Jo cut her hair. Indeed, it was the little details that brought the play to life. Mr. Laurence’s tiny diamond on his necktie and the delicate embroidery on Aunt March’s fabulous dress made it clear that the costume designer, Ruth Smerchek, put plenty of love and care into her work. I also loved the little changes on the main cast that distinguished their personas between Acts 1 and 2. They looked older in Act 2, more mature, and I appreciated the subtle changes to their costumes, hair, and makeup to make that a possibility. The scenic setup where Jo and Mr. Bhaer talk multiple times throughout Act 2 was also simple but clever; placing a door between the border curtains emphasized the “otherness” of their conversations, making it clear that those moments were special. The lighting and sound, too, did an excellent job enhancing the details of the play without dominating the stage.
The acting, especially, was superb. The main cast did so well in portraying their main characters that I, as a fan of the book, knew who was playing who after the first minute of the play. Some standouts to me were the actresses Jo and Amy March, Kayli Gurley and Savannah Dove, respectively, who stepped into their characters’ shoes perfectly through flawless delivery and real emotion. I especially loved their chemistry with Michel’s Laurie, whose quips and gestures felt incredibly true to the character. The side characters did especially well in bringing the play to life. Allyson Hayse-Tinker, the actress who played both Hannah and Aunt March, stole the few scenes she was in with her comedic instincts and sharp wit. Professor Bhaer, played by David Boncyk, was also a very entertaining presence on the stage who did a great job of keeping the audience engaged.
This play didn’t come without flaws, however. For instance, throughout the play, something felt missing from the main set, the March house. In the books, the living room was always full and cozy, with a fireplace that was always lit and a shelf full of books. The lack of those two details slightly detracted from the otherwise impactful scenes. Another aspect of the writing that I found especially disappointing was the way Beth was sidelined throughout the play. She had far less agency and independence than she did in the books, and that especially hurt near the end of her life because I felt like I didn’t get to know her well enough to grieve her character. It broke my heart that the writers chose to exclude the beautiful father-daughter relationship she had with Mr. Laurence, since that was one of my favorite parts of the book. There were also portions of the play that felt slightly rushed, but not enough to detract from the writing quality.
I would highly recommend this play to any fans of the original novel, and even to those who aren’t. As I watched, it was clear that the relatively small group of actors, managers, and designers put heart and soul into Little Women, creating an atmosphere meant to both resonate with and intrigue the audience. Everything about it felt lively and crafted with passion, while at the same time being comforting and soothing.
One thing is for sure: this experience will live with you for a long time.
Reviewed by TeenTix KC Press Corps member Hannah Karim
TeenTix KC is a KC Studio initiative building a brighter future for our region by empowering young people to take an active role in shaping their arts community as audience members, critics, influencers, advocates, patrons and leaders. Any 13-19 year-old can become a TeenTix KC member by downloading a free pass which enables them to buy $5 tickets to participating arts venues across metro KC. Teens are encouraged to become critics and influencers by writing reviews and creating reels about the arts they experience using their TeenTix KC passes.
