By Jill Holloway – Thomasville Times Enterprise – Oct 29, 2023

THOMASVILLE- Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic ‘Little Women’ took the stage this past weekend at Thomasville On Stage and Company, charming audience members with its poignant themes of love, social expectations and family.

The play centers around four sisters- Meg (Emily Brooks), Jo (Mern Young), Beth (Moss Musselwhite) and Amy March (Victoria Stewart), who are growing up in a poor, but proper home, raised by their loving mother, Marmee (Erin Fielding), in Concord, Massachusetts, while their father (Alex Sapp) is serving as an army chaplain in the Civil War.

The four sisters could not be more different, and as the show progresses, audience members see the growth and relationship dynamics that take place between the siblings.

Meg longs for love and marriage, while Jo is a strong-willed tomboy, who refuses to conform to standards of women seen as “typical” in that age. Beth is considered humble and kind, but somewhat meek to others, while Amy is known as the artist of the family and finds beauty in the finer things in life.

Director Kimsey Hodge sees the production as not only a historical tale, but one that still has relevance in today’s world.

“In a time when women are still fighting for a place at the table where decisions about women are being made, ‘Little Women’ reminds us that having options… wasn’t always an option,” she said.

The play is loosely based on the story of Alcott’s life, as her character mimics that of Jo. One of Jo’s more controversial life decisions in the play centers around her best friend Theodore “Laurie” Laurence (Carson Chapman)’s unyielding affection for her. While most women in that day and age would’ve jumped at the chance to be married to someone so educated, Jo makes the controversial, non-traditional decision to remain single, focusing on her own independence and dream to become a writer.

“I have so much respect for that,” Hodge said.

Despite her refusal to have a relationship with Laurie, Jo does go on to marry Professor Bhear (Cameron Parker).

Hodge said this differs from the real Alcott, as she never married.

“The notion is that she (Alcott) took her manuscript back to the editor, who wanted to know what happened with Jo’s love interest,” Hodge said. “So, she went back and added that part about Professor Bhear so that it could get published.”

Learning the history behind Alcott’s story and working with the actors and actresses who bring the story to life on stage has been a joy for Hodge.

“It’s been one of the easiest productions I’ve ever worked on,” she said. “As we got closer to opening night, we started feeling a little stress and tension, but we talked about it and we got through it.”

Hodge said the production included a mix of individuals, including those brand new to the stage and kids she’s seen grow up from the children’s summer camps to playing adult roles.

“It’s just been an easy show to work on and we’ve bonded a lot,” she said.

Hodge, Parker and Ransom Young went roadtripping to find antiques for the set, while others would later gather to watch ‘Little Women’ on film all together.

The clear camaraderie of the characters can be seen on the stage, as they all give off the notion they were truly raised together as siblings.

Hodge hopes everyone will come to see everyone’s hard work next weekend during the final showings of ‘Little Women.’

TOSAC will host a Friday and Saturday night showing at 7 p.m., along with a matinee performance on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20.75 for adults and $15.75 for students. They can be purchased at tosac.com/tickets.