San Marin’s Drama students brought 19th century Massachusetts to life in the play “Little Women.” “Little Women” is based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott that tells the story of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, as they grow up in the Civil War era. The story follows four different sisters as they fall in and out of love, find careers in a society with traditional gender roles, and face grief. The cast of San Marin’s “Little Women” included sophomore Jade Stanton and freshman Ella Berberian as Jo, sophomores Isabella Vasquez and Catania Dekeyrel as Beth, sophomore Evie Snyder as Amy, sophomore Devyn Lawrence- Hall as Meg, sophomore Bella Lessig as Marmee, junior Phoenix Schuler and freshman Mia Label as Hannah/Aunt March/Mrs. Mingott, senior Seth Myers as Laurie, sophomore Flint Berberich as Mr. Brooks/Polly the Parrot, junior Lukas Rodgers as Mr. March/Mr. Laurence, and junior Angel Yam as Mr. Dashwood/Doctor.
Stanton pitched the idea of putting on “Little Women” to her drama teacher.
“Funny enough, my friend and I randomly suggested it and our new drama teacher happened to go along with it,” Stanton said. “I really feel like it is very relevant in today’s world.”
Stanton believes that not only is this play similar to today’s issues, she also emphasizes the deeper meaning behind “Little Women.”
“The play is a perfect example of how a woman’s place is defined and how it doesn’t change even if we fight for it, and that’s still something happening today,” Stanton said.
The drama students have been aided by teacher Haley McFadden. She has been a part of the San Marin community in previous years as a teacher and has returned as a substitute drama teacher for the rest of the school year. Although she has just recently rejoined San Marin, she has provided students with the necessary skills and feedback in order for them to perform their best.
“She has helped us a lot, we can ask her anything about how we want to say our lines, how to memorize them more,” Vasquez said. “She gives very clear instructions on how she wants the play to look, which makes it easier to go along smoothly.”
Berberich describes his character of John Brooks as a “stuffy character” and said that he enjoys personalizing his character and adding his own twist based on what he knows about the story and the role.
“I like to play him as if he kind of has different [capacities]… where he doesn’t really know how to navigate certain social situations,” Berberich said.
Stanton plays the role of Jo March, the second oldest sister of the group. Stanton feels that her character stands out from her more traditional sisters.
“She is very against what people picture a woman to be, and she’d rather be like a writer or a soldier, so she gets a lot of backlash for all of that,” Stanton said.
Stanton feels that her personality fits the character of Jo the most, making it easier for her to embody her character.
“I feel like I’m kind of similar to her in a way, so I feel like I’ve already [prepared myself for the role],” Stanton said.
Along with the actors, the play was aided by tech students who helped ensure that transitions happened smoothly,
costumes were ready, and sets were made. The play ran from May 1 to May 4.
