THEATRE PREVIEW

OCTOBER 2026 | Volume 268

 

LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott, adapted by Joelle Wyminga
“I want to be great, or nothing.”

Can we ever find true contentment in the ordinary when our dreams are extraordinary? An attic filled with long forgotten clutter. Floorboards, stained with ink and charcoal, and walls that still remember the raucous laughter of rambunctious girls. A solitary figure sits, humming a sweet tune while she cradles an imperfect rag doll. This is Beth March, a beloved household spirit, waiting until… One by one each of her sisters and the boy next door return to their old haunt, unaware that Beth still watches over them. Soon, their reminiscence leads to reenactment and the foursome is swept up in a whirlwind of memory, scored by Beth on her piano. Meg, Jo, Amy, and Laurie relive their most formative moments as if mounting one of their living room Christmas plays, each one gleefully flitting between the various figures that guide them through early life.

Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, Louisa May Alocott (known to her loved ones as Lou) chooses to immortalize not the great heroes, villains, politicians, or battles of the day, but the simple lives of those left at home, whose worlds seem small by comparison. However, she does so with an honesty that has allowed Little Women to endure, maintaining its magnetic relatability through generations. Each of the key figures, namely the March sisters and Laurie, embody different paths through the trials of growing up. Each has a dream, often grander than their reach, and each must wrestle with ambitions, disappointments, and surprising outcomes along the way. In an era with as much uncertainty as ours, it is no stretch to see our own fears, desires, loves, and losses mirrored by the Marches. Especially when the world's big problems make us feel comparatively small.

This brand-new adaptation of Lou Alcott’s seminal novel moves with ferocious velocity as 5 actors take on the host of side characters who touch the Marches’ lives. Weaving together the playful and the profound, tablecloths become gowns, crates become icy lakes, and an old attic spans all the way from Paris to New York. This retelling never shies away from the mess, according to Director and adapter, Joelle Wyminga, who loves “seeing girls be unapologetic.They are messy, silly, angry dreamers, sometimes spiteful and always authentic.” While manyversions centre Jo’s story over her sisters’, this script holds each character’s arc with equal weight. “Jo isn’t the everywoman people often make her out to be,” says actor Shel Wyminga, “she represents a very specific, unique, and often queer set of experiences. Hers is just one of the forms of ‘feminine’ experience the story explores. In a way, even Laurie gets to be a ‘little woman.’” Ultimately, this production seeks to celebrate the extraordinary potency of ordinary experiences. In the words of Marmee when asked by Jo what worth a simple story like theirs could have, “There’s truth in it, Jo, that’s the secret.”

“[Far From The Tree Productions’] Little Women weekly podcast proves that they indeed have storytelling in their blood.” -Magdelena Pulit, Theatre Weekly, 2020 on Little Women: an Audioplay

“Beth singing after the others had hummed/sang her song. This to me was the highest point emotionally and the most meaningful moment. It was sacred.” -Audience Response to 2022 workshop

“The characters transforming into other characters with the use of a cane or a shawl (that was very clear and easily accepted by the audience) added a layer of comedy which was fantastic. Also the cast was exceptional.” -Audience Response to 2022 workshop

ARTISTIC TEAM
Directed by Joelle Wyminga. Featuring Emma Soothill, Jenaya Barker, Santiago Henoa, Sarah Roa and Shel Wyminga. Original music by Jenaya Barker. Lighting Design by Lexi Berry. Set and Props Design by JJ Penaranda. Stage Management by Diyalla Malijian. Intimacy Direction by Alina Quarin. Fight Direction by Shel Wyminga.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, adapted by Joelle Wyminga
When: Nov 28-December 6. Evenings 7:30PM. Saturday & Sunday Matinees at 2:00PM.
Where: The Bez Arts Hub #102 20230 64 Ave, Langley,Nov 28-29;
The Nest, 1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, Dec 1-6
Tickets: $35
https://www.simpletix.com/e/little-women-tickets-298739 (Langley)
https://app.ticketowl.io/o/YtEd7jvJwRzYfbfb/event/ad5dWmQ3h7km_SC- (Vancouver)

FAR FROM THE TREE PRODUCTIONS ONLINE: www.farfromthetreeproductions.com
f: www.facebook.com/farfromthetreeproductions
i: @farfromthetreeproductions

 

 

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