ALBERT LEA – In many ways, the Albert Lea Community Theatre production of "Little Women" is community theater at its best.

Tuesday, March 21, 2000

ALBERT LEA – In many ways, the Albert Lea Community Theatre production of "Little Women" is community theater at its best.

First, director Lori Ness has given many new people a chance to experience theater by "double casting" certain roles. In the first act, we see four younger girls as Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy – namely Acacia Clarambeau, Anna Sturtz, Shayna Collins and Heidi Stegenga. By Act Two, after some time has passed, we see four older girls – Mary Sauer, Sarah Madsen, Samantha Gordon and Sadie Morfitt – in those same roles.

Ness has done a remarkable job in this double casting finding girls who actually look like they could be sisters.

What’s more, this production has broadened a local production with actors from New Richland, Austin, Waseca, Hollandale, Glenville and Northwood as well as Albert Lea. And that doesn’t even take into account all those people who worked behind the scenes to make the production work.

And "Little Women" has fulfilled ACT’s mission of producing a family show. It’s one that’s appropriate for children ages 8 and up, and certainly any adult who has enjoyed Louisa May Alcott’s classic will enjoy this play as well.

The play is set from 1863 to 1868 in the March home in Concord, Mass. Kudos to Jay Magnuson and John Szymanowski, who did set construction, for capturing the essence of the sitting room: "It was a comfortable old place, though the carpet was faded and the furniture very plain, for a good picture or two hung on the walls, books filled the recesses, chrysanthemums and Christmas roses blossomed in the window, and a pleasant atmosphere of home peace pervaded it."

In the first act, we get a sampling of what the March sisters are all about: Jo really wishes she were a boy and is very outspoken. Meg is sensible as the oldest. Amy is prim, artistic and always getting a laugh with her vocabulary. Beth is simply "a dear" who loves music.

Father (Curtis Clarambeau) has gone off to war, and Marmie (Joanne Fox) is preoccupied with volunteer work at the hospital. But Hannah, the maid (Dori Erntson), is there to watch over the girls and get some type of laugh each time she leaves the stage. And there’s also Aunt March (Joanne Barr) who, though cantankerous, obviously cares about the family.

The March family also seems to have many caring friends, including Mr. Laurence (Paul Cooper), Laurie (Cameron Davis) and John Brooke (Jason Peterson). The latter two show more than a passing interest in the March sisters. And there’s also Professor Bhaer (Bob Vilt), whom Jo finds inspiring, to say the least.

Soon, we see the girls growing up, and the family experiencing what every family does at one time or another: new life, illness and death, sorrow and happiness. All in all, it’s a satisfying production, with (again) a beautiful set, wonderful costumes by Karen Szymanowski, Deb Clarambeau, Jean Nelson, Joanne Gold, Emily Wagner, Rachel Nelson and Erin Budd, and hairstyling by Katie Thurnau.

The play runs about one hour and 25 minutes, including a 10-minute intermission.