Hedgerow Theatre Company presents Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, adapted by Kate Hamill

An enduring cultural touchstone, Alcott’s novel was an enormous success from the moment it was published and remains one of the most popular American novels of all time, placing 8th in the PBS “Great American Read” survey of American’s 100 favorite novels. Unfortunately, Hamill’s reinterpretation introduces significant changes to Alcott’s original, eliminating many of the very elements that have contributed to its longevity, cultural significance, and societal impact. The sub-par script and a puzzling post-performance addition transformed an otherwise-tolerable experience into something very strange.

Navigating “real” womanhood

There are several praiseworthy elements in director Abby Weissman’s production. Scenic designer Sarah Schunke includes a painting of the four sisters over the on-set mantle that is a rendition of a real rehearsal photo, which is a thoughtful touch. A queer reading of Jo and Laurie’s discordance with gender norms is particularly interesting, though a bit ham-fisted; Marissa Emerson plays an awkward Jo who emphasizes that she will “never be a real woman,” and is palpably frustrated about both the necessity of behaving in a “ladylike” manner and her family’s disappointment in her poor gender performance.

Jameka Monet Wilson and Olive Gallagher also give persuasive performances as Amy and Beth respectively. Wilson successfully transforms Amy from a tantrum-prone, spoiled child to a fashionable, condescending, and well-spoken teen between acts, while also having excellent comedic timing. Conversely, the quiet and unassuming Beth provides little room to hide behind large, dramatic displays, instead requiring a subtlety the multi-talented Gallagher (who acts, sings, and plays three instruments) embodies with ease. Minou Pourshariati rounds out the core ensemble as Meg.

Bizarre departures

Hamill’s script departs from the novel significantly and makes some bizarre and frankly poor choices. Unlike the original work, this production ends with Beth’s death, and the most important plot point, Jo’s departure to New York to finally pursue her dream of becoming an author, is not only unmentioned, but clearly intentionally discarded. The social impact of Jo pursuing gainful employment as a writer cannot be overstated; she inspired generations (including modern authors like Ursula K. Le Guin and Margaret Atwood) and taught girls in 1869 that it was acceptable to pursue paid work outside the home.

But in Hamill’s telling, there is no indication that Jo even tries to make anything of herself, let alone a nod to her romance or eventual marriage. Little Women was notable in its time for portraying loving relationships between equals, but Hamill’s romantic relationships develop primarily offscreen (Meg and John Brooks) or not at all (Jo and Professor Bhaer, Laurie and Amy).

Missing Alcott’s mark

Here, after Beth dies, she rises from the bed to sing “Amazing Grace”, and after applause, Gallagher declares that “the March family liked to end the year with music, and we’d like to do the same with you.” This was immediately followed by approximately 10 minutes of the cast singing a mix of Christmas and other songs, including Frank Sinatra’s “The Christmas Waltz”, “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” by Gayla Peevey, and for some reason, “To Life” from Fiddler on the Roof, before the curtain call.

The transition from the tragedy of Beth’s death to confusion (the audience clearly wondering “is this the end of the play?!”) brought emotional whiplash. And the unrelated sing-along of questionable quality (though the actors were obviously enjoying themselves) was jarringly unpleasant and significantly overshadowed any of the positive aspects of the performance.

Woefully out of touch with the elements that make the novel a beloved classic, and surprising audiences with its bizarre concluding shift in content and tone, this performance misses the mark despite the acceptable acting, sets, lighting (Lilly Fossner), and costuming (Leigh Paradise). If the company was truly so eager to perform Little Women and include music (music director Matthew Mastronardi also composed the live accompaniment), the musical would certainly have been a better choice—if nothing else, at least it’s well-written and understands the source material.