Little Women a sugar-plum Christmas card

By Brian Wilford
Cowichan Valley Citizen
December 4, 2005

Christmas is a special time at the Chemainus Theatre Festival and has been ever since the magnificent dome landed in the tiny mill town like a vision of a better future.

Each year Festival members prepare a Christmas card for the community.

There's no Streetcar Named Desire screaming and yelling, no cleavage and no heavy An Inspector Calls social commentary about how we're all murderers who are going to hell.

The Christmas offering is lights, music, singing, dancing, costumes, pine boughs, decorations and snowflakes- a happy celebration of the season for young and old.

So, to say Little Women is saccharine is to miss the point. It's full-blown sugar, more likely sugar plums, and delightfully so.

This year the CTF crew has done something really special, presenting an original, musical adaptation of Lousia May Alcott's story of four young girls coming of age during the American Civil War.

Four years in the making, it's two hours of original music and lyrics by Jim Hodgkinson and Mark DuMez performed with uplifhting enthusiasum by a top-notch cast.

There's very little dialogue but enough that you can follow the story even if you haven't read the book.

Exceptional performances are given by Courtenay Dobbie as the independent Jo, Steven Greenfield as the lovestruck Laurie and Seana-Lee Wood as mom 'Marmee.'

Mention must be made as well of Norma Bowen's outstanding costumes; the period dresses are worls of art.

Don't hesitate to bring yong children tot his show. The little girl next to me sat riveted and unfidgeting for the whole two hours and was one of the first on her feet as the audience showed its approval. Her mom asked her, "Did you like it?" and she said, "Yes." What higher praise can there be?

Leave your critical eye and your wise cynicism at home. Just enjoy.