The Clemson Players will perform its long-awaited “Little Women” production, based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, on March 9 and 10. Even in the cast’s open rehearsal, the show did justice in highlighting the female talent of the theater, and the details and effort that went into the production were remarkable.
In the “Little Women” open rehearsal, guests saw the actors and directors stitching the show together. Although they were only in mock costumes and performed in a rehearsal room, the talent that went into the show was obvious.
In the scenes performed for the small audience, every line said and each decision made was filled with intent. Director Kerrie Seymour’s attention to detail in the script came through in the actors’ performance.
The standout of the open rehearsal was Alex Haviken. Even before Haviken was introduced in her scenes, it was evident she would be playing Meg March. Haviken embodied the iconic character, and her devotion to the finer elements of Meg’s character and motivations was made clear in her performance. Alex Haviken’s casting as Meg March was an expert move on director Kerrie Seymour’s end.
Not only did the actors add so much to Clemson’s upcoming theater production, but the details surrounding the show were incredibly intricate. The four March sisters’ costumes were all done in-house and created by the Clemson theater department. No aspects of the main characters’ costumes were bought. Instead, they were crafted by Clemson students and staff.
Along with the historically accurate corsets, the production’s actors and actresses also took part in etiquette classes. Performers were taught how to stand, walk and act in line with their complex costumes and the manners of the 1860s. The actors and directors of “Little Women” are genuinely dedicated to their characters.
The most impressive detail of the production aspects surrounding “Little Women” is found in its music. Clemson Players has forgone stock instrumentals in favor of Clemson students and staff, who recorded the music in a period-appropriate manner. Instead of using instruments of 2024, students and teachers played and recorded the music on authentic 1860s pianos, adding an impressive historical accuracy to the show and creating a “time machine” effect, according to Seymour.
“A lot of people think the show is outdated, but it’s timeless,” actress Sidney Reyes, playing Amy March, told The Tiger. “There are so many things about it you can see yourself in.”
Clemson Players will perform “Little Women” on March 9 and 10. Find details about the show and buy tickets on the Brooks Center for Performing Arts website.
