Tucked away on Commerce Street at the Cherry Lane Theater, there is a little gem of a show that takes the form of Kate Hamill's Little Women. But this is not your grandmother's version of Louisa May Alcott's story. True to her fashion, Hamill has re-envisioned the story of the March family while being true both to the time it is set and our modern understanding of gender roles.
Every character in Hamill's Little Women is given new depth in this production. From the boyish Jo, stunningly portrayed by Kristolyn Lloyd; to the prissy Amy, played by Carmen Zilles; and even to the lonely Laurie, wonderfully portrayed by Nate Mann; Hamill has created new layers of depth to each one of them as she looks at the roles they play in their time from a modern standpoint, one that questions how gender and freedom were different.
The whole cast work well together as an ensemble, and Hamill's writing both cleverly brings Little Women into the modern era while still preserving what is at the heart of the story: the messiness of family life. Helped along by a simplistic set and minimal costume changes, it feels as though you are an observer of the March family's life. The results are, frankly, stunning.