Small
wonder
by
Michael Dresdner
L to R: Syra Beth Puett, Madelynne Lumsden
If you
go to Little Women at Tacoma Youth Theatre, what you will see is an excellent
production of a one act, one hour morsel of this well-known story.
What you
won’t see is both more remarkable and definitely more significant. I’ll get to that
shortly.
As far
as the story goes, this production covers only the skeleton of the first part
of Little Women; enough for us to get to know all the characters and their
personalities, witness some of their challenges, and see the beginnings of
their growth toward maturity, replete with scares, self-discovery, and first
loves. As you probably know, the book Little Women covers the challenges, expectations,
and restrictions inherent in growing up female in New England during the latter
half of the 19th century.
 |
| L to R: Isaiah Resinger, Bianca Ponnekanti |
Ostensibly,
this is children’s theatre, meaning the actors are all children, but in fact,
this production is quite different. It is a typical, age-appropriate cast in
which the roles of neighbor Laurie and the March children are played by student
actors, and very good ones at that, while the three adult roles are played by much
older thespians borrowed from the regular acting community.
Let’s
start with the younger set, who are all, as I said, terrific. Madelynne Lumsden
calmly and confidently plays the eldest, Meg, who the family relies on for her
caring maturity. Aquene Kimmel is Beth, the second sister; quiet, gentle, and
sweet, struck by illness as a result of time spent visiting the poor. Bianca
Ponnekanti becomes the tomboy of the group, Jo, who’d rather pursue her reading
and writing than her stalwart and lovestruck neighbor, Laurie, played by Isaiah
Resinger. And last, but certainly not least, is Caroline Hall who is cute as a
bug’s ear as the youngest sister, Amy, proving the theatre adage that if you
share the stage with young children or animals, you’re bound to be upstaged.
 |
| Caroline Hall |
The
three adult actors are all heavily experienced theatrical powerhouses who’ve
garnered well-earned accolades in their long acting careers. Dana Galagan plays
Marmee, the gentle, wise mother of the girls, Syra Beth Puett covers the
haughty, sharp Aunt March, and the redoubtable Tom Birkland is Mr. Lawrence,
their kindly, wealthy, avuncular neighbor.
 |
| Tom Birkland |
The
theater itself is an intimate 80 seat venue with audience on risers around
three sides of the stage. A simple set of well-chosen furniture on a perfectly
rendered fake wood floor (the work of Maggie Knott) was boosted by a series of
absolutely stunning costumes. In short, it was the sort of production you
expect from any serious theatre.
As I
promised, I’ll spend a few words on what’s unseen. Long-time theatre experts
Scott Campbell and Maggie Knott are the brains, brawn, and heart behind this
venture that is much more than just theatre. They created Tacoma Youth Theatre not
merely as a performance space, but as a school to use acting as a means to help
young people develop both stage and life skills. Adding the three adult actors,
who’ve given their time as guides and mentors, lends yet another dimension to
the children’s theatrical lessons.
The play’s
performance itself is but a small part of the good work being done in this
building, a bit like parents’ day at school. Attending may be very rewarding,
but that barely scratches the surface of the more important efforts that go on
every day. Clearly, Scott and Maggie are doing a fantastic job at inspiring and
training their young charges to do an equally fantastic job on the boards.
Whether
you enroll your children to become part of the acting, or simply want to see a well-oiled
production, you won’t be disappointed with what goes on in this welcoming and
welcome addition to the Tacoma theatre scene.
Little
Women
April 18
to 27, 2014
Tacoma
Youth Theatre
