First Stage’s Reverent, Radical Adaptation of ‘Little Women’

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Photo by Paul Ruffolo

First Stage 'Little Women'

Josephine Van Slyke and Max Larson in First Stage's 'Little Women'

First Stage Young Company welcomes warmer weather with playwright Kate Hamill’s adaptation of Little Women. Director Karen Estrada ushers a cast of student actors through Hamill’s radical and reverent adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic. Josie Van Slyke is shows clever nuance and deeply charming energy as the impetuous aspiring author Jo March. Framed by Hamill, Jo is a man’s soul trapped in a woman’s body at a time when it was very, very upsetting to be a woman looking to make her mark in the world. Jo and her sisters navigate the treacherous and murky waters of life as they grow-up during as particularly rough point in the American 19th century. All of the central conflicts of the drama remain intact while addressing matters of gender identity and inequality which echo through to contemporary society.

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Photo by Paul Ruffolo

First Stage 'Little Women'

Thomas Bastardo and Lola Onorato in First Stage's 'Little Women'

Max Larson provides charming counterpoint to Jo in the role of Laurie, a man deeply in love with someone who cannot love him back romantically. Paxton Haley adds a cool abrasive friction for Jo as her sister Amy, who is clearly attracted to Laurie, who longs only for Jo. The romantic triangle forms an active and passionate heart for a drama that clearly has stronger ambitions. Jo’s driving need to make a change in the world is beset on all sides by the very problems in the world that she’s looking to change. Estrada fosters a cleverly thoughtful dynamic in and within the ensemble. It’s a deeply moving framing of Alcott’s classic which manages to be both reverent towards the beloved novel and progressive. It’s a progressive exploration of a classic which still manages to appeal to those who love a more traditional read of the beloved novel. 

Through April 2 at Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, on 325 W. Walnut St. For more information, visit firststage.org.