Hello all! It's Co-Adaptor/Director/Costume Designer Emily here!

I wanted to welcome you to the site and share a bit about the process of bringing this beloved story to the BLC stage. Please click around and find all the goodies we've assembled for you. There will be more in the coming weeks after auditions and rehearsals begins. For now, I'll share some photos from this summer's read through!

A Read Through is a very important part of the playwrighting process. By hearing the words acted out, the playwrights can better identify the strengths and weaknesses in their current draft. Nearly every original production created at Bethany has had first a private read through with a handful of select individuals. Some have even had a public read through for the students and future audiences to get a sense of the content and style of an upcoming production. We've certainly used it in the the Theatre department to general a buzz for the show! We had a public read through for Pete's What Child is This? last fall. But what about Little Women? So back in June we gathered friends with Draft #1 of the script, gave them roles and copies of the script, listened, and braced ourselves for helpful feedback. 

BLC theatre and YFAC friends were all in attendance and, after some yummy snacks and wine, we read through the entire script. We then called for everyone's honest critiques, and believe me, there was plenty! Maren and I each took our own notes too and we made a plan to address the feedback - fixing the holes people identified, deepening emotional connections between characters, making things more clear for an audience, and begin we our work on Draft #2.

We met sporadically throughout the weeks, using Facetime and Google Docs, and finding naptime for her boys to be the best time to keep plugging away. We slowly adjusted the script, often focusing on a few moments or ideas at a time.

Now that summer is drawing to a close, we're thrilled to report that the script is READY! I won't say it's "done" just now because a script often isn't done until long after the show. One of the greatest advantages to creating a totally original and brand new adaptation is that it's ours...and it's a living piece so I have no doubt it will change and morph and grow into something even better than what's just on the page. What a special experience for not just us (the creators) but our students and audiences!

So, join us on this adventure!