Grace Casambros presented on the musical play Little Women performed by high school students. The musical is based on the novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott and follows the story of the four March sisters growing up in Massachusetts during the Civil War. While incorporating some elements of Greek drama like melodramatic scenes and exaggerated acting, the musical also differed from ancient Greek plays in its use of modern stage technology and female actors playing female roles. A key part of the story that audiences can relate to is the depiction of sibling rivalry between the March sisters and the sadness of missing their father who is away fighting in the war.

1. EVENT PRESENTATION
BY: GRACE CASAMBROS

2. Little Women
September 5, 2014
Virginia High School

3. Background
Musical play performed by high school
students
Little Women is a musical with a book by Allen
Knee
Based on the novel, Little Women, written by
Louisa May Alcott

4. Story
 Based on the adventures of the March sisters (Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth) as
they grow up in Concord, Massachusetts during the Civil War.
 Intercut with the vignettes in which their lives unfold are several
recreations of the melodramatic short stories Jo writes in her attic studio.
 A timeless tale about the power of family, friendship, and romance.
 A musical that demonstrates some Greek drama characteristics and tells
a story where everyone can relate to today.

5. Exhibit
 Musical had few choreographic dancing, but the majority of the play was
acting and singing.
 Music
 Mainly played when it came time for the actors and actresses to sing their dialogue.
 Depending on what the dialogue was about, the music was either cheerful or sad.
 Played as lights dimmed for scene change.
 Mood of a scene
 During a scene, they played music as Marmee March read a letter from her husband to her
four daughters: Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth.
 Musicians played a slow and sad music to accompany the reading of the letter.
 Method was used to make it more dramatic and for them to tug at the audience’s heart.

6. Ancient Greek Drama
Little Women incorporates Greek theatrical culture

7. Greek Drama
Similarities
 Melodramatic short scenes, which
originated in the 18th century
 They exaggerate their facial
expressions and body movements so
people who sat in the back can see
the mood and emotions that they
convey.
 In order for those who seated far in
the back can hear, they also have
to project their voice.
 The Stage located on the lower
level; the seats ascended higher and
higher, like the Ancient Theater of
Dionysus at Delphi, Greece.

8. Greek Drama
Differences
 There were some differences between Little Women and ancient Greek
plays.
 One difference was who played the characters. In Little Women, the female
characters were played by females. In ancient Greek time, the female
characters were played by men.
 Another difference is that in Little Women, they had the technology to dim the
lights and have a stage that can revolve that can change scenes. On the
other hand, Greek plays didn’t have light switches to dim the lights, or a
revolving stage.
 Greek plays usually have a moral theme while Little Women didn’t. These were
the main differences in Little Women and the ancient Greek plays

9. “The hook”
 Everyone in the audience who has siblings can relate to this musical.
 Individual personalities
 This tale was about four sisters who strive to be together but wanted to do individual things
in life. Even though these four sisters wanted to be together, there was
 Jo wanted to be a well-known and publish writer, Meg wanted riches and to fall in love,
Beth wanted to stay at home with her parents, and Amy who wanted to be a proper lady
and artist.
 Sibling fights and rivalry
 Jo and Amy quarrels in the musical, just like any siblings that we have.
 One major quarrel that Jo and Amy had was when Jo didn’t allow Amy to join Meg, Laurie, and her
to the ball. In spite and in anger, Amy destroyed Jo’s unfinished novel by throwing it in the fire. When
Jo finds out, she is furious and claims that she will never forgive Amy.
 This is a scene that anyone who has a younger or older sibling can relate to because we all have
fought with our siblings; exclude them from our friends, and taken things that belong to the other.

10. “The hook” (continued)
The father was not physically present in the play. He was away at war. When Marmee read a letter to her
daughters, there was a sense of sadness. They missed their father and wanted him to come home. Anyone in
the audience who have a friend, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, etc. in the military that is deployed
overseas can relate to this. They can feel the March’s pain and sadness. The audience can understand them
and relate to them.

11. SUPPRESSION
 Little Woman demonstrates that women had a hard time to fight against
society’s view on woman.
 Suppression of woman has been dated back, since beginning of time.
 Since the beginning of time, women were to be at home and act lady
like.
 Writers and scholarly jobs were meant for men.
 For example, Jo wanted to be a writer but no one took her seriously. Her aunt,
Aunt March, wanted her to act more ladylike.

12. Moral
 In drama, art, and literature, there are usually a purpose to it.
 The purpose of Little Women was to entertain and teach the audience a
moral.
 The singing and dancing entertain the audience and kept the audience’s
attention.
 The moral to this story, in my opinion, was that no matter what the
obstacle is, you can reach your goal by working hard and not quitting.

13. Conclusion
 It had some sad moments and some funny moments. In the audience,
you can hear laughter when the funny parts came, and you can hear
sniffling from the audience during the tearful parts. This musical definitely
kept the audience’s attention.
 Overall, the musical experience was enjoyable. I was very surprised that I
enjoyed this play. I honestly thought I would have fallen asleep during the
play. Little Women incorporated morals, history, and what we learn in
Humanities’ class.