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The Daily Tar Heel

Women’s Theatre Festival to host 'Little Women' this holiday season

Little Women
The Women's Theatre Festival is putting on an immersive performance of "Little Women." Photo courtesy of Nick Popio.

The Women’s Theatre Festival will host Lorelei Canne’s play adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, "Little Women," from Nov. 24 to Dec. 3 at the Sonorous Road Theatre and Film Studio. 

"Little Women" takes place during the Civil War and chronicles the story of four sisters as they advance through childhood and into maturity while their father is off at war. As poor women living alone in the 1800s, they face many challenges in their lives, but always meet them with strength and resilience. 

“The story of Little Women is about love and togetherness and support and dreaming big and choosing to move forward despite everyone around you saying, 'No you can’t,'” said Canne, who wrote the play and also stars as Jo March. 

The show comes on the heels of the Thanksgiving holiday and gives audiences a chance to transition into the winter holidays.

“It’s a really good holiday show about family and appreciating who you have,” said Sierra Smith, who plays Amy March.

“If Thanksgiving is about gratitude and Christmas is about love, then 'Little Women' is the perfect marriage of the two,” Canne said.

The two-hour immersive play brings the audience into the action with seats available surrounding and on the set. Tea, cookies and brownies will also be served to add to the ambience of the event.

“We really want the audience to feel like they're in our home and part of our family,” Canne said. 

Canne has adapted the story of Little Women to contain more modern dialogue, which makes the characters more relatable and shows how similar they are to viewers. 

“The environment they were in isn't that different from the environment now,” Canne said. 

The play deals with heavy themes of struggle and love, but in the end, it’s a showcase of women coming of age. 

“People should come out because it’s fun,” said Natalia Soto, who plays Beth March. 

The show is aimed at families and people of all ages as it draws on universal themes that have allowed the story of the March family to remain relevant for nearly 200 years. 

@joe__keys

arts@dailytarheel.com

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