LITTLE WOMEN Returns to the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis

Little Women, adapted and directed by Jason Spitzer and based the on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, returns to the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis July 10 - 21, 2019, after a sold out production run in February 2019. The encore performances are part of the Theatre Memphis Summer Showcase productions and are not part of the season membership ticket package. Season members do get a discount on all full priced adult tickets, however.

A period romance, Little Women follows four sisters living with their mother in New England as their father is away serving as a chaplain in the Civil War. The family has recently lost its fortune and struggles to support itself as the girls grow and face their own personal moral challenges, guided by their religious faith. Resolutions come as the girls explore love, the world and celebrate family connections with their individual progress and success.

Director Spitzer brings a love of the original work to life with his take. "When I sat down to adapt the show, I knew immediately that I wanted to use the intimate Next Stage space and that I wanted to stage the show in the round. This is a beloved classic (the book is now celebrating its 150th anniversary) about four young women discovering their identities, family, faith, love, friendship." Spitzer recalls. "I love nineteenth century literature and after adapting and directing TM's A Christmas Carol and participating in three of TM's Jane Austen productions, I started to think about other stories I wanted to tell. I vividly recall having an animated conversation with a friend about Alcott's Little Women and I knew it was the perfect choice. I presented the idea to Theatre Memphis Executive Producer, Debbie Litch, and she fell in love with the idea."

"Little Women is the type of classic story that we love to produce in our Next Stage," Litch, muses. "Revisiting the familiar relationships with a fresh perspective only deepens the appreciation we have of the original work in book form. These are BIG roles for the women (and men) in this cast and there is nothing small about the effort our production staff has put into this glorious show. Clearly our audiences loved this version ... so we brought it back!"

Photo Credit: Carla McDonald