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Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women tells the story of the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they grow up and navigate the world. With different ambitions and obstacles, the women grow into themselves and find their paths with the help of their nurturing mother, Marmee, their old fashioned aunt, Aunt March, and even their grumpy old neighbor, Mr Lawrence. Adapted for the stage with book and lyrics by Allan Knee and Mindi Dickstein, Little Women opened on Broadway in 2005 starring Tony award-winning actress Sutton Foster. Now on the Brandeis stage, director Rose Freudberg ‘20 has brought Alcott’s story to life. The cast and crew have been working for months and in just one week they will be sharing their work with audiences. A few members of the cast crew shared with me a little bit about who they are and what they are most excited for as the production gets ready to open.
Her Campus: What is your name, what year are you, and what are you studying?
Rose Freudberg: My name is Rose. I am a senior double majoring in Theater and HSSP.
Liora Lilienthal: I’m Liora. I am class of 2020 and I am double majoring in Psychology and Art History and minoring in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.
Elizabeth Hilliard: My name is Elizabeth. I am in the class of 2022 and I am double majoring in Theater and Music.
Seth Wulf: My name is Seth. I am a junior studying American Studies.
Meg Rock: I’m Meg. I am class of 2023 and I am hopeful Theater major and Creative Writing minor.
HC: What is your involvement in Little Women?
RF: I am the director.
LL: I am the choreographer.
LH: I am playing Jo March.
SW: I play Laurie.
MG: I am a part of the ensemble.
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HC: Why do you do theater?
RF: I always wanted to do theater in high school. I was a competitive gymnast but always had a love for theater and always went to see shows. In college, I wanted to try it out and loved it. I love being a part of a community and creating something.
LL: I grew up in a family that loves Broadway so it’s always been a part of my life. I thought what better way to combine my love of dance and theater than by doing choreography. And I love my theater friends. I think it’s awesome that everything in the UTC is student-run. We are all learning together and no one is better than another person. I love that we are all in this together to put on a wonderful show. It’s why I’m still here six shows later.
LH: I really enjoy helping create stories, allowing people to take part in them and lose their own story for a while. I love taking on someone else’s mannerisms and getting to see the world through someone else’s eyes.
SW: I love doing theater because I like to make people laugh. I love the spontaneity of each performance because with the new audience it’s always different.
MG: I love to act and perform. I have my whole life. There’s a serenity that comes with being on stage and being someone else for a while.
HC: What are you most excited for about your show?
RF: I’m excited for audiences to see all the hard work the cast and prod staff have been putting in this semester. I am also excited for people to see the new spin I put on the story and for audiences to have an emotional connection with the story and its characters.
LL: So many things. I think just how each person has grown into their character and how talented is and how hard everyone is working. Everyone has worked hard and I’m excited for everyone to see that. I think everyone has grown and approached their character in such an interesting way and I love that.
LH: I am excited for people to see all the work we’ve put into the show. Also, I can’t wait for them to see that we’ve gotten comfortable enough with the show that we’ve been able to focus on character work.
SW: I am really excited to see everyone kill their solos. This is a music-heavy show and the singing in the show is great. I can’t wait for the audience to see everyone be awesome.
MG: I’m excited to finally getting to perform the show in front of people.
Little Women will be playing in the SCC theater. Tickets are free for Brandeis students and $5.00 for non-Brandeis students and are available at the box office located inside the SCC.
Thursday, November 21st – 8 pm
Friday, November 22nd – 8 pm
Saturday, November 23rd – 2pm & 8pm
Sunday, November 24th – 2 pm