Familial Bonds Endure in NCT’s ‘Little Women’

May 5, 2025
• The local theater troupe will stage a play adaptation of the classic 1868 novel starting this weekend.

The Orchard House in Concord memorializes the life of Louisa May Alcott, the author of “Little Women” who fused her own upbringing into the classic novel. As a young teenager, Becky King visited the home, resonating with Alcott’s mercurial temperament and pursuit of the arts.

King, now a Needham resident, visited again with fellow cast and crew in Needham Community Theatre’s upcoming production of “Little Women.” There, the actors felt the local historical significance of the novel-turned-play and its persisting impact.

“It’s really neat because a lot of this production of this play references things that are in the house, like the costumes, where the girls would do plays in their living room, just like we are in this show,” King said, “and all of that is very autobiographical.”

Despite the novel’s age — it was written in 1868 — the tale remains relatable to those portraying its events on the Newman Elementary School stage, particularly in how it showcases the comfort of family and the special connection shared among siblings.

The company will take the stage Friday, May 9 and Friday, May 16 at 8 p.m., with matinees on Saturday, May 10, Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18, all at 1 p.m.

King portrays Marmee, the mother of the four sisters who runs the household in her husband’s absence. The story takes place during the American Civil War but focuses almost solely on a New England family making do.

Having previously identified with Jo March — the writer of the family and Alcott’s self-insert — King said she’s come to recognize the matriarch’s place in the story, which she called “incredibly modern.”

“I have a whole new admiration for her role now at this stage of my life, while still, of course, admiring the creativity of the girls too,” King said. “If you think about it, in the 1860s, to encourage one daughter to become an artist, another daughter to become a writer, and to let them be who they wanted to be rather than to conform to what was expected, I think that’s remarkable.”

Olivia Nossiff plays Meg, the eldest March sister who takes on “a second motherly presence” for her siblings, Nossiff said. She embodies a sense of duty and responsibility, but also a desire to follow a traditional life by getting married.

That becomes a key tension in Meg’s relationship with Jo, who tries to put her own sense of independence onto her sister. The 2019 film adaptation of the novel has Meg address that plainly: “Just because my dreams are different than yours doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.”

For Nossiff, Meg’s desire to become a wife isn’t at odds with the March spirit.

“I think probably her role as the eldest also is involved with why she ends up being so traditional,” Nossiff said, “but the rebellious side of her is picking someone she really loves, rather than somebody who maybe she ‘should.’”

Societal pressures on young girls still ring true in the 21st century, at least for Nossiff, but she said it’s easier for women to defy those standards and march — pun intended — to the beat of their own drum. Nossiff said she sees herself more of a Jo in that sense, but she understands Meg’s sensibility.

Brian O’Hara grew up with two sisters with vastly different personalities, reflecting that of the March sisters. O’Hara’s Mr. Lawrence, a neighbor to the March family, connects with Beth, the timid middle sister with musical prowess. Mr. Lawrence’s grumpiness and Beth’s shyness both dissolve when Mr. Lawrence invites the young girl to play piano at his home.

Despite the sisters’ disagreements and chosen paths in life, “they’re all there for each other,” O’Hara said, which makes the story special.

“It’s all about that family being there,” he said. “That story is not going to get old.”

Sound designer Chris Tess composed original music for the show. The ground floor of the Orchard House set is hyper realistic, but as actors ascend, the scene becomes less so. Director Morgan Flynn said that’s intentional, reflecting Alcott’s memory of the home and her feelings around it more so than the precise details.

“Little Women” remains resonant nearly 160 years after the book’s publishing because of its simplicity — there are no wizards or pirates or mythical beings, but a story about four girls “can be just as enriching as one of those big fantastical stories,” Flynn said.

“People should come see ‘Little Women’ if they want to be reminded of what it is to have a dream and how it feels to relentlessly pursue that dream,” Flynn said, “and leave the theater feeling a little nostalgic, like they want to go open their journal or call their sibling or go visit the Concord house.”