Looking to escape the doldrums of student life for a few hours to enter a world of family drama sword fights, and romance ?
The Tower Players are presenting Little Women in Markel Auditorium on Feb. 26-29 at 7:30pm and Sunday Mar. 1 at 2pm.
On this 150th anniversary of the writing of the book, Professors Christopher Matsos and Karl Schmidt decided to bring this iconic story to the Hillsdale stage.
“Any legendary story is made better by retelling and any community is made better by the retelling of those stories. Hillsdale deserved its own retelling of Little Women,” said Matsos.
Matsos expressed that he hoped the coming of age story would be relatable to his mostly college aged audience. The tale centers on Jo March as she navigates adulthood living in New York City. As Jo attempts to publish a book and forge a new life in the city, she reflects on the sweet times growing up with her sisters.
The musical features a series of vignettes which take the audience back to Jo’s upbringing in Concord, Massachusetts. Audiences will also enjoy the subplots of Jo’s sisters performing her adventure novels as Jo explains her stories to Professor Bhaer.
Sophomore John Biscaro, who plays Professor Bhaer, said the music makes the play even more compelling as it tells the story in a way that mere dialogue cannot. Audience members can look forward to numbers like “Astonishing” and “Delighted,” directed by Professor Karl Schmidt and played by a full orchestra.
Costume designer Corinne Landford created 95% of the costuming by hand, all influenced by 19th century dress patterns. Matsos said the costumes are so impressive, they are “ready for any movie.”
Biscaro said though “Little Women” is a female-dominated play, this should not keep male students from attending.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or guy. The story is relatable for both. It’s not a girly story. It’s a story about a family navigating life during the civil war together without a father,” said Biscaro.
Junior Micaela Stiles, who portrays Meg March, says she hopes the play will be a respite for her fellow students.
“I hope it is a fun release to laugh and cry with each other and step away from the harshness of Hillsdale academics for a while,” said Stiles.