The Troy Theatre Ensemble opens with “Little Women” on the weekend of Nov. 3 through Nov. 5. Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, playwright Kate Hamill has written the story to be brilliantly modern. The play stars the March family, composed of four sisters, Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth, and their parents, Margaret and Robert.

The play begins with a vibrant performance by senior Grace Haugk, who plays the leading role of Josephine “Jo” March. As a woman in Civil War America, Jo struggles between traditional expectations of femininity and what she actually desires: to publish a book. And it doesn’t help that Jo sticks out like a sore thumb in comparison to other women in the show. Like the Taylor Swift song “You Belong With Me,” Jo’s “T-shirts” are trousers and their “short skirts” are hoop skirts. She prefers yelling “Christopher Colombus!” instead of staying silent and biting her tongue. The play follows Jo’s various attempts at becoming recognized and appreciated for her writing, from plays staged at home to what she considers to be her “Great Novel.”

While some actors prefer a theatrical approach to taking on a character, Haugk takes on the character as easily as putting on a second skin. They are Jo and Jo is them. Every scoff and every glare seems like they were born with it etched on their face. Every retort seems like Haugk’s own invention rather than from a script.

By contrast, freshman Quin VanAmberg’s Meg March is as traditionally feminine as it gets. She wants marriage, she wants children, she wants the world that Jo is so desperate to get out of. VanAmberg is the calm to the storm the others wreak on stage.  As the play develops, and the Civil War rages on in the background, we learn that Meg is losing the war. Not the Civil War, but rather, Meg’s war is with the responsibilities, expectations and stress placed on a mother in her time period, with  VanAmberg perfectly portraying how such incredible pressure can cause even the most proper and responsible to crack. 

VanAmberg’s co-star, junior Naomi Player, describes her performance in simple terms: “So good. She plays a more mature role than me, and she does it so well. She honestly impresses me every single day.”

The play puts the relationship of the March sisters on full display, as is explosively displayed by junior Naomi Player’s portrayal of Amy March. As the youngest sister, Player brings a contrasting volatility to her, for their own reasons, mature older sisters. From her avoidance of schooling, to her outlandish malapropisms, Player never fails to add a burst of life to a scene that can be otherwise dominated by her calmer older sisters. As the play goes on and the young Amy gains her own elegance and maturity, Player too adapts, seamlessly gaining a brand new demeanor, once again to contrast the tomboyish nature of her older sister, Jo. 

Even in her choice of favorite scene, one can see Player’s incredible range, “My favorite scene in Act 1 is one where I get to just scream and cry, and I love doing that.” 

She appreciates the bright and comedic, but can also appreciate seriousness  and complexity, “My second favorite is when I get slapped. I like that one.”

When Haugk and Player are on stage together, it’s like watching a thousand fireworks go off all at once. 

With the March sisters’ eccentricity, junior Reagan Feld’s Beth, truly fits the title given to her by Jo as the “conscious” of the family. Feld perfectly encapsulates the calm and calculated March sister, while still imbuing her with life and energy in the scenes where she is truly moved. Even as her sisters are worn down by the harsh realities of life as a woman in their time, Beth maintains a sense of calm, and reminds them of the dreams they once held in their younger years. 

“She is honestly incredible,” Player gushes while talking about Feld’s performance. She hasn’t been in a role that’s like this before and being able to see Feld step into Beth and give her more energy, and give her more of an actual story is exciting. “I’m gonna be honest,” Player adds, “Beth is the only character I didn’t remember from the movie, but now, we’re not gonna be able to forget Beth.” 

Senior Olivia Essebaggers takes on the role of Margaret “Marmee” March, the girls’ mother.  During a scene starring Beth, Jo and Marmee, a school janitor wandered into the auditorium to watch. He stayed until the scene was over. Essebaggers is captivating enough as it is, but to put her, Haugk and Feld on stage has your eyes glued to the stage. It’s a perfect blend of personalities. 

Junior Nick Urben stars as Theodore “Laurie” Laurence, a name that makes the March girls cringe. However, his awkward attempts at banter are enough to make Amy swoon. The wrong March sister in his opinion. As an orphan stuck with a grouchy grandparent, Laurie’s life is less than spectacular. He yearns to stay home to play piano for the rest of his days, but begins to change his tune through his newfound friendship with Jo March.

“The chemistry on stage that I have with Grace H, who plays Jo March, is really great for the characters,” says Urben, and every scene they share makes this clear. Urben and Haugk always bring a fresh wit, and Urben never fails to maintain the calmness and gentleness of his character whilst also playing off of Grace’s energy. 

As the play develops and both of their character’s motivations begin to change, the pair displays their fantastic capabilities for creating drama on stage, creating Urben’s favorite scene which he can only describe as “heartbreaking.” 

The play is set against the backdrop of the March family home, and the set and props truly make it feel like a window into the time period. 

“This show has definitely [got] a lot of different props.” Urben explains.

“I’m definitely excited for some of the props we get to use.” And rightfully so; from toy swords, to coins and potatoes, it seems that the actors are always interacting with their environment and getting new things to keep the scene lively. 

“It’s a lot of trading the books around.” Player says, while talking about the props, referring to the two books carried around by Jo March. “ I’m really curious to see if the audience can tell the difference between the books.” She adds, ”I wonder if they can catch on to the little trends.”

Just as the props crew manages a myriad of props behind the scenes, the cast manages a myriad of powerful emotions to keep the audience drawn in. Moments of laughter, triumph and painful loss are expertly presented and navigated between, making the play more complex than a simple happy go-lucky comedy or dreary and depressing tragedy. The complicated set of emotions felt by the characters on stage can only be described as a real story, as Beth March would want to be told. 

Urben’s description of his favorite scene, “heartbreaking”, is truly both a synonym and antonym for the entire play. At its highs, the antics of the sisters and their friends are delightful and exude joy and hope. At its lows, the pain and hardships of the sisters can be seen and felt through their movements and expressions, like dirt and blood smudged upon the face of a soldier, a tangible avatar of despair.  

The Troy Theatre Ensemble starts off their 2023-2024 production year strong with a heart wrenching and hilarious rendition of “Little Women.” Director Marc Vickers has stunned once again with another Kate Hamill production. To all those who attend the play, there is only one question I ask:  is it a parrot or a person? Genuinely asking. 

Tickets can be bought here.