LITTLE WOMEN – Rep Theater Review

The cast of the Rep's LITTLE WOMEN.. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents “Little Women”, September 9-27, 2026. Photo by Jon Gitchoff

– By Cate Marquis –

The Repertory Theater of St. Louis opens it’s 2026-2027 season with a stage adaption of a literary favorite, “Little Women,” but while most adaptations we have seen for stage and screen have been saccharine sweet, this one leans more to humor and fun, while keeping the heart. And it is not just the story in Louisa May Alcott’s two books about the March sisters, but the story of the author herself, with all her quirks and humor, which gives it a more feminist bent as we see her struggle against the barriers to women authors, and women generally, in the post-Civil War era. The play’s embrace of fun and hope make it a rollicking way to kick off the new season.

The title of Lauren Gunderson’s play is actually “Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women,” putting the author right there, front and center. The Rep’s production is directed by Delaney Piggins, the Rep’s Associate Artistic Director, making her Mainstage directorial debut. And a strong debut it is.

This is a splendid production overall, and personally, I have never had this much fun watching a telling of this story. Adding the author’s own story, and her voice, gives us some behind-the-scenes detail we might otherwise miss, and insights on the author as well.

This is still the story of the March sisters and family, which Louisa May Alcott based on her own family and friends, although idealized versions. The novel’s characters, sisters Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth, were inspired the author herself, who went by Lou, as the basis of Jo, oldest Meg by Alcott’s sister Anna, youngest Amy by her sister May, and Beth by her sister Lizzie, with the novel’s mother Marmee based on Alcott’s own mother. The story is set in a version of the Alcotts’ home in Connecticut.

The story is set during the Civil War, as Christmas approached and the March family was coping while their father, Dr. March (Adam Poss), was off helping the war effort. The girls are worried that this Christmas will be a bad one, with the war going on and everything is in short supply, and their own provisions meager. Still, their mother Marmee (Marcia Pizzo) finds a way to brighten the mood, and even help a neighbor family who is much worse off. There is also curiosity about a new neighbor, a boy who has moved in with his wealthy grandfather next door. Jo (Andrea San Miguel) is particularly curious about him, and when she meets the boy, Theodore Lawrence who goes by Laurie (Sean Seifert), they quickly become friends. Youngest daughter Amy (Addison Foote) is strong-willed, a bit whiny and sometimes a trouble maker, while oldest daughter Meg (Amira Danan), considered the beauty of the family, takes charge of helping their mother and seems ready to step into adulthood at 16 years old. The sweetest is shy Beth (Kristen Lintvedt), who loves to play the piano and does so beautifully. The cast of characters is rounded out by Laurie’s tutor John (Adam Poss again), the girls’ wealthy, demanding aunt, Aunt March (Marcia Pizzo again), who has social ambitions for the girls and some means to help them, if they do as she wants. In the second act, a new character, Friedrich (Adam Poss yet again) joins the tale.

The first act covers the contents of the first book, as the girls are growing up during the Civil War, and after an intermission, the second act covers the post-war period, as the grown girls establish their own lives and careers, Meg as a teacher, Amy as an artist, and particularly Jo as a writer.

The play’s action alternates between the story of the March sisters that we know from the famous book, and the author recounting her own actual career, telling about the creation of the book, and about her real sisters. This Jo/Lou (both played delightfully by Andrea San Miguel) is more vibrant than we usually find, full of her ambition to be a writer, and her full rejection of the traditional role and path expected of women, of wife and mother. Of course, Alcott was not the only 19th century woman author who rejected marriage to retain her freedom to write, but she makes that choice seem like an escape into fun.

Alcott was close to her sisters all her life but, curiously, it was not a wish to write about her family that led to the creation of her novel (originally two novels, later combined) but a demand from her publisher to write a story for girls. At a loss for that, an assignment for which she had no appetite, she turned to the only source she knew: her own family. Both Alcott and her published were surprised when it became a hit.

Although this familiar story has plenty of drama, struggle and even tragedy, this staging emphasizes the fun and the warmth, making it a most enjoyable experience, even a bit of a romp at times. It really leans into fun from the start, beginning with the casting of Andrea San Miguel, who was so hilarious in last fall’s wild comedy “The Cottage,” as both Jo and author Louisa. She is energetic, adventurous, and absolutely refuses to be held back on her quest for fun, no matter what anyone says. San Miguel carries that high-octane spirit throughout the play, in both characters, only scowling when someone or something – like budding romances – interfere with her plan for non-stop fun. She only slows down when she talks about her sisters, either as the author fondly remembering them or as Jo in moments of tenderness, particularly with the sweet, fragile Beth.

San Miguel’s Jo is often at her best when she is being silly and romping with equally silly Laurie, played impressively by Sean Seifert. The two actors playing off each other wonderfully, each matching the other in childish chaos, which is great fun to watch. There is a touch of Peter Pan to this Jo, who doesn’t really want anyone, including her self, to grown up, get married and start families and just be adults. San Miguel portrays this persistent playfulness and resistance to change well but Seifert has the challenge of making his character evolve into a more serious, mature person, a coming-of-age transition he handles exceedingly well. In other versions of the story, it is less clear why Jo resists marrying her handsome, rich childhood friend but in this telling, the characters make it perfectly clear why it wouldn’t work.

But Jo’s “Peter Pan” side falls away when she, and the author Louisa, talk about ambitions as a writer or her career as one. There her drive to succeed is as powerful and unstoppable.

While a lot of the play revolves around the author and her novel’s alterego Jo, the rest of the cast are just as wonderful. Seifert is perfect as Laurie, Amira Danan is steady and appealing as oldest Meg, Addison Foote gives artistic, youngest Amy more depth than most versions do, and Kristen Lintvedt gives shy, musical Beth an wisdom with her sweetness that makes her fate easier to accept. Marcia Pizzo is warm and charming as their mother Marmee, and imperious as Aunt March. Adam Poss is called on to play both the teacher John that Meg falls for, and the German professor, Friedrich, that Jo takes to heart, as well as the girls’ father Dr. March, although he is only seen briefly and in silhouette, and he handles all of them well.

The sets and costumes are perfect, as usual for the Rep, which makes it easy to be transported to this post-Civil War time. Scenes changes often involved parts of the set, especially the fireplace in the March home, being slid out of view or other movable portions shifted by the performers. The costumes by Olivia Canovi were especially nice.

This was such a fun yet touching show, that anyone should enjoy, even if you are not particularly a fan of the novel, thanks to a delightful, energetic cast and perfectly paced direction.

“Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women” is on stage at the Repertory Theater of St. Louis through Sept. 27, 2026.

© Cate Marquis