New England Youth Theatre Presents "Little Women"

The indomitable spirit of girls and women will be on full display as New England Youth Theatre (NEYT) presents "Little Women," this weekend. The show is based on Louisa May Alcott's American classic novel (originally published in 1868); a Civil War story of love and family that stands the test of time. This classic tale was adapted for stage by Marisha Chamberlain and was written and directed by NEYT's artistic director Ben Stockman. The story follows the lives of four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March and details their passage from childhood to womanhood. The family faces severe hardships when Mr. March leaves home to serve as a Union chaplain in the U.S. Civil War. According to publicity materials, after having lost their family's fortune, their deep affection for each other, innate hopefulness and inner spark of creativity are all they have to carry them through. NEYT's Senior Company of 15 youth actors, ages 13 to 19, who hail from Western Mass. and Southern Vt. will present this beloved holiday show "to make hearts full and keep spirits high." "Little Women" features costume design by Sandy Klein, set design by David Regan and lights and sound by Francesca Bourgault. It will be run by a tech, stage management and costume crew of eight NEYT students. The Keene Sentinel caught up with NEYT artistic director Ben Stockman, who has a B.A. in English from Leslie College and an M.F.A. in directing from Ohio University. He's been at this post for over one year and is excited about the show. Here's an excerpt of their conversation: Victoria Chertok: Hi Ben! Let's start at the beginning. How did this production come about? Ben Stockman: NEYT always does a show in December that is geared towards the holidays and good feelings. This is the first of those that I have programmed. It's one of my favorite books that I read as a child. I'm very excited about stage adaptations of literature, and this seemed like a really great example to start out with. V.C.: Why was "Little Women" one of your favorite books? B.S.: That's such a good question. I was really into books as a kid. I was a huge library frequenter, and I got into Classics for Kids at a certain point. This book is very immersive, and I think imagining a life of hardship is kind of compelling to kids. V.C.: This book was written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868. Why are people still in love with the story of "Little Women?" B.S.: Well, I think the bonds of familial love versus the cruelty and coldness of the outside world is a story of good versus evil, in a way, that plants itself in the universal subconscious. V.C.: It's based on the lives of the author and her three sisters. Is Jo March the character that is loosely based on Louisa May Alcott? B.S.: I found an adaptation of this script that encompasses the first volume only. Jo March, who is most closely based on Louisa May Alcott herself, was encouraged by Alcott's publisher to get married at the end of the second volume, and our version ends way before that. She is given a sense of liberty and freedom at the end of our story that more closely mirrors Alcott's personal journey. Alcott never married and in addition to writing, had a lot of other jobs and occupations that she used to survive like nursing and female companionship. V.C.: Which themes in volume one are interesting or compelling to you? B.S.: There's a strong thematic thread of the idea of sin versus virtue. In the pursuit of virtuousness, the pursuit of liberty and freedom are set against each other. There's tension between those things, and it has to do with gender roles and what kind of life is prescribed for women in this time period. V.C.: Interesting! What can the audience expect? B.S.: It's really exciting that this show has so much tactile action. There's a lot of actual knitting and needle point and drawing and playing piano and a lot of real activities that actors can engage in to be grounded in the reality of doing. And I think that's lovely as an acting teacher. V.C.: Any closing thoughts? B.S.: I'm incredibly proud of the work of all of the student actors, stage managers, the incredible design team of NEYT staff, visiting artists and volunteers; and students in costuming, scenic, lights and sound. The level of intricacy and detail in the show's aesthetic is so fun and inspiring. IF YOU GO: WHAT: NEYT's Holiday Production of "Little Women" WHERE: New England Youth Theatre, 100 Flat St., Brattleboro, Vt. WHEN: Friday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. (Please note: matinee times subject to change depending on run-time) MORE INFO: Tickets on sale now at neyt.org/little-women Tickets $15/$17/$20