OTHELLO — The classic tale of four sisters growing up in the shadow of civil war comes to the McFarland Middle School stage tonight and tomorrow night. The curtain rises on the Othello High School drama club presentation of “Little Women” at 7 p.m. on the MMS stage, 790 S. 10th Ave.

Drama club advisor and director Thomas Christensen said he chose the play because it’s a classic and a favorite.

“I love the story,” he said. “I love the characters and the relationships, especially between the girls and Marmee.”

He added some themes are familiar from his own life. 

“I have a lot of sisters, so it makes a lot of sense to me,” he said. 

The play is based on Lousia May Alcott’s 1868 novel that follows the fortunes of the four March sisters, Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth, during the time of the Civil War. The Marches are not a well-to-do family at the best of times, and their father, normally the family breadwinner, is serving as Union Army chaplain.

The two oldest sisters Jo (Magali Marroquin in the OHS production) and Meg (Paige Meredith) are working to help support the family. Beth (Giselle Vazquez) is very shy and prefers to stay home rather than go to school. Amy (Karli Long) is a little rebellious about her family’s circumstances.

The play is set during the Civil War, and Christensen said that presented some challenges for the cast.

“People behaved differently, and how they interact with each other is different,” Christensen said. “All the characters in the story — for their time — were pretty relaxed, But compared to nowadays, it’s definitely a different way.”

The period costumes presented a challenge of their own. Hoops were a thing in the 1860s, and the actors had to learn how to manage them.

“You can’t just sit down in them,” Christensen said. “The girls that wear them have been rehearsing in hoops so they get really comfortable with dealing with being four feet wide.”

Even with the challenges it’s been a popular play among the cast, he said.

“The kids are having a great time. They’ve learned, I guess, (that) for all that the characters are 160 years old, the story is pretty timeless. And the things that Lousia May Alcott wrote about are still current issues in families,” Christensen said. 

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at [email protected]. 

Tickets

$10 adults
$8 seniors
$6 Othello students
$5 Othello students w/ASB card

    John Brooke (Enrique Perez), left, talks to his girlfriend’s mom, (Nyomi Valdez, right) called Marmee by her daughters.
  

    Meg March (Paige Meredith), right, and her sister Jo (Magali Marroquin), left, play out roles — that’s the reason for the knife — in one of Jo’s thrillers.
  

    Jo March (Magali Marroquin), right, has cast herself in the role of villain and her sister Amy (Karli Long), center, as the threatened heroine, while sister Beth (Gisele Vazquez) watches. The Othello High School production of “Little Women” is on stage tonight and Saturday night.