Until January 4, 2026, The Arts Club Theatre Company presents Lauren M. Gunderson’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
Told through the eyes of author Louisa May Alcott, played by Kate Besworth, as she recounts her early life and family, the inspiration for her writing and famed semi-autobiographical Little Women. Nurtured as a writer by her mother (Erin Ormond) from a young age, Alcott, like her alter-ego Jo March the second of four sisters, lived a meagre life with parents and three sisters – eldest Abigail inspired Meg March (played by Elizabeth Barrett), Elizabeth brought about middle-sister Beth (Ming Hudson), and youngest sister Anna begat Amy (Kaitlyn Yott). With father away fighting in the US Civil War the Alcott women work to keep themselves solvent and distracted by entertaining themselves especially by Beth on piano. Befriended and supported by their neighbour Theodore (Laurie) Laurence (Conor Wylie), his grandfather and his tutor, John Brooke (Nick Fontaine). Laurie and Louisa/Jo become fast life-long friends while grandfather Laurence encourages Beth’s piano playing and Brooke and Meg become more than friends.
Rather than another straight-forward adaptation of the beloved 1868 novel, Gunderson’s version allows the audience to see the classic tale in a fresh way with Barbara Tomasic directing a very enjoyable cast led by the energetic and vibrant Kate Besworth. Breaking the fourth wall with the characters’ stating their own exposition to the audience lends a light touch of humour to the drama. Viewed as Louisa May retelling her famous prose allows the players leeway to spiritedly exaggerate their characters’ traits. Jo’s over-the-top defiant tongue lashings of friends and family, Laurie’s pining for Jo becomes comically melodramatic, self-centred Amy is an incorrigibly foot-stomping brat, even the doddering Aunt March (also played by Erin Ormond) playfully veers into a caricature of an old maid. Jennifer Stewart’s simple but creative set design allows the players to smoothly transition through the seasons and the passage of time. While Barbara Clayden’s costumes evoke the era with their warm neutral colour palate and fabrics. The total effect makes the play a breezy turn through the late 19th century New England sensibilities, that feels much shorter than its 2.5 hour run time.
The enduring popularity of Little Women helped pave the way for countless novels even leading up to today’s teenlit genre. Lauren M. Gunderson’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women follows its timeless themes to present an entertainingly, emotive drama about family, friends and finding one’s self-worth through times of sacrifice.
See Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women until January 4, 2026 at The Arts Club Theatre Company’s Granville Island Stage, 1585 Johnston Street, Vancouver. Visit artsclub.com for show details, tickets including special performances; Talkback Tuesday, December 16 and Vocal Eye December 16 and 19.