Little Women

Louisa May Alcott, Emma Reeves

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781849435505
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Romantic Meg. Shy Beth. Wilful Amy. And, of course, passionate and fiery Jo. Little Women tells the story of the March sisters growing up in genteel poverty against the backdrop of the American Civil War. This timeless tale of four sisters' adventures has enchanted millions of readers, and is now available in this acclaimed adaptation for the stage.

Act One

Setting: An attic, a place where memories are stored. There are four chests, labelled ‘Meg’, ‘Jo’, ‘Beth’ and ‘Amy’, containing various props used for the show. Dust sheets and gauzes are hung around the stage, creating different spaces which allow us to travel in space and time in a second. The action moves quickly and fluidly – scenes flow into each other and there are as few scene changes as possible.

PROLOGUE

Song: In the Bleak Midwinter

FULL CAST:

In the bleak midwinter

Frosty winds made moan

Earth stood hard as iron

Water like a stone.

Snow had fallen, snow on snow

Snow on snow

In the bleak midwinter

Long ago.

The song continues, hummed quietly, as JO, 20s, enters the attic and looks about. She has not been up here for a long time. She sees Meg’s chest in a far corner, and reads the lettering, ‘Meg’.

JO: Meg…

JO opens the chest and finds an old, broken fan inside. She tries to open it, but it is ruined. As she does so, MEG appears in her memory, flirting with her unbroken fan.

MEG: I should like a lovely house, full of all sorts of luxurious things – pretty clothes, handsome furniture, pleasant people – and heaps of money.

JO moves to the next chest and takes out an old paint brush.

JO: Amy…

AMY appears with the brush.

AMY: I want to go to Rome, and do fine pictures, and be the best artist in the whole world.

JO finds an old manuscript in the ‘Jo’ chest and reads it.

JO: ‘I’m going to do something splendid – something heroic, and wonderful, that won’t be forgotten after I’m gone.’

JO moves on to the final chest, marked ‘Beth’. She pulls out the doll, Joanna.

Beth.

BETH appears with her doll.

BETH: I only wish we could all stay together.

JO: Beth…

The sisters disappear.
SFX: Gunfire.

(To the audience, narrating.) It was the second winter of the war.

Behind the gauze, dimly lit, women wave men off to war.

A different scene now than in the first, hopeful days, when young men and boys filled the ranks.

MEG, BETH and AMY join JO one by one.

MEG: Now the blue coats were worn by mature men.

BETH: One of them was our father. We agreed –

AMY: In principle –

MEG: That it would be wrong, to spend money for pleasure –

BETH: When our men were suffering so in the army.

AMY: But still –

MEG: – As Jo observed, one winter evening –

SCENE ONE

The March house. MEG (16), BETH (13) and AMY (12) are setting out food. JO (15) joins them and the scene begins:

JO: Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents.

MEG: It’s so dreadful to be poor.

AMY: I don’t think it’s fair for some girls to have lots of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all.

BETH: We’ve got Father, and Mother, and each other, anyhow.

JO: We haven’t got Father, and we won’t for a long time.

AMY: Perhaps never.

JO: Don’t say that!

BETH: (Peacemaking.) It was so brave of Father to volunteer as a chaplain, when he wasn’t strong enough for a soldier.

JO: Of course he did! And don’t I wish I could go, too?

MEG: No you don’t, Jo.

JO: I do, though! I’m dying to go and fight with Pa, but instead I have to stay at home and slave for poky old Aunt March.
Christopher Columbus!

AMY: Don’t use slang, Jo; it’s so boyish.

JO: That’s why I do it.

AMY: I detest rude, unladylike girls.

JO: I hate affected, niminy-piminy chits.

MEG: Girls! Really!

JO: Sorry Meg. I just wish I was a boy, that’s all.

MEG: Well, you’re not.

BETH: Poor Jo! It’s too bad, but it can’t be helped, so you must try to be contented with making your name boyish, and playing brother to us girls.

JO: (Energetic.) That reminds me – there’s still heaps to do about the play for Christmas night! We should rehearse!

BETH runs to a chest and hands out makeshift props. AMY has a gold paper crown, JO a swirling ‘villain’ cape and a sword, etc.

MEG: Better do it now – then we can have supper as soon as Marmee gets home.

JO: Meg, you’ll have to announce us.

MEG: I don’t think I should act any more. I’m getting too old for such things.

JO: Nonsense! You know you love it, so just get on with it.

MEG: (Announces dramatically.) The Witch’s Curse, a Tragedy by Miss Josephine March.

JO: Overture – that’s you Beth –

BETH: Do I have to?

JO: You’re the best musician we’ve got.

BETH: But I hate to play in front of people – it frightens me. And that jangling old piano hurts my ears – it never keeps in tune –

JO: (Si...