For their last production of the year, Park Theater’s interpretation of the classic tale Little Women opened to an excited audience April 24. With handmade costumes and props, detailed tech and heartfelt acting, the show kicked off its one-weekend run, a showcase of hard work and another successful year’s end.
According to Artistic Director Jodi Schifsky, the break after Little Women’s run will be much needed. She said the show is bittersweet because it celebrates hard work while also marking the end of an era.
“It’s so bittersweet because we’ve worked all year long doing shows with very little time off, and so it’s time for a break, but also we put all this work into something and then it’s over, so I love it and I hate that it’s the end, and this year we have a really strong group of seniors that we’re going to be saying a fond farewell to,” Schifsky said.
Freshman and costume crew member Kaylee Soles said the group was well-prepared for opening night. She said multiple run-throughs of the show were done to ensure everybody was ready.
“Yeah, we were doing run-throughs all week, and everybody had everything down really nicely. I watched this full show run on Tuesday from the audience, and it was really great even then. The costumes (were made) all last week, so that was all set, and everybody did a great job,” Soles said.
According to sophomore and set and props crew member Erin Eichten, the cast and crew alike were important in making Little Women come to life. She highlighted the costumes and handmade props as special parts of the show.
“What everybody in the cast and crew’s specialties are and what they bring to the table makes (Little Women) stand out because everybody just has such unique skill sets,” Eichten said. “Specifically, I just noticed today, the costumes are just really, really well-made. Pretty much everything is hand done, so it’s just very personal.”
Schifsky said key moments with the March sisters help grow connection and build on the plot of the play. She said that costumes, sets, sound and lights all work together to tell the story of Little Women.
“There are some really great moments of connection between the actors, especially the sisters and all that familial building that we did. But also, I think the tech elements are really helping tell the story. The costumes are putting us in their place. The set is making us feel at home. The sound and lights are just giving us that ambiance,” Schifsky said. “Every facet of the show says something, but I get to work mostly with the actors, so I get to see more of those moments throughout the process.”
According to Soles, the actors are very intentional with what they do on stage to make it a memorable show. She said there might be small details one won’t catch on the first watch that are helping further the story.
“All of the actors are really good at doing something funny or interesting, and not just because they want to make the audience laugh, but because they think a lot about specific things and their characters and stuff,” Soles said. “In crew too, every little thing has a little purpose, and even if you don’t catch everything when you’re watching the first time, it’s still there.”
Eichten said the senior class of 2025 is leaving its mark on Park’s theater program. She said theater won’t be the same without them.
“The senior class has got to be one of the strongest groups of people in theater that I’ve ever seen. They’re amazing and there’s so many of them, so I think this program is definitely gonna take a hit next year when they’re not here. They cover all the bases: cast, crew, costumes, everything. So yeah, it’ll be sad,” Eichten said.
Park’s next shows are at 7 p.m. April 25 and 2 p.m. April 26. More information on the theater program can be found on @slptheatre on Instagram.
