On Sept. 26-27, the Westminster Players captivated audiences with their rendition of the classic novel, Little Women. Little Women is a story about four sisters growing up with their mother during the Civil War. The book talks about how the sisters grow into adulthood and the themes of identity and personal growth throughout the book.

Guest director Maggie Bailey, a former English teacher at Westminster, led this year’s production. Bailey based her adaptation on Kate Hamill’s stage version of Little Women, condensing the script to fit a four-week rehearsal period while still preserving the heart of the story. In a new approach to rehearsals, Bailey and the production team gave actors more freedom to determine their movements on stage.

“We kind of let the actors feel out how they want to be in the space and where they are on stage,” said student director Diana Blake. “They’re almost doing as much directing as the directors are.”

Blake, a senior who has participated in Westminster theatre since eighth grade, is serving as student director for the first time. Her responsibilities include keeping the cast on task and helping stage each scene. Bailey is also her aunt.

Alongside Blake, senior Jerry Guo joined the cast for his very first Upper School production.

“I wanted to try something new as a senior,” Guo said.

Although Guo has limited acting experience outside of elementary school performances, he takes on three roles in the play. His ability to join the cohort is a testament to both his effort and the welcoming nature of Westminster’s theatre community.

The production team also includes play producer and librarian Karen McCarthy. McCarthy praised the high level of talent across the cast.

“Casting this play was challenging,” she said. “Anyone could have played almost any of the roles.”

Casting at Westminster is a careful process, requiring at least three people—including the director, student director, and occasionally the producer—to evaluate auditions. With the fall play and fall musical auditions held at the same time, casting often requires careful collaboration. Directors look closely at how actors interact on stage, which often determines callbacks and final casting decisions.

Once roles are assigned, rehearsals run daily from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., with extended hours during performance week and additional Saturday practices.

“Everybody has their own method of memorizing their lines,” Guo said. “For me, it’s a lot of rinse and repeat until I feel confident.”

Through long hours and dedication, the cast and crew worked tirelessly to bring Little Women to Westminster’s stage.

The theatre year will also stage a fall musical, a winter play, and a spring production this year. Be sure to come out and support the Westminster Theatre Cohort as they continue to create and share their outstanding work with the community. Their hard work is underappreciated in Westminster and showing up to performances like these would make their efforts worth it.

Edited by Emma Stamps