LITTLE WOMEN...NOW (90-minute cut available under "script sample"!) by Donna Hoke

Kilroys List 2020

On both screen and stage, you've seen myriad period iterations of LITTLE WOMEN, but you've never seen LITTLE WOMEN... NOW. In this present-day take on the classic novel, the beloved March women manage love, life, and disappointment with heart, humor, and 21st century sensibilities.
  • Recommend
  • Download
  • Save to Reading List

LITTLE WOMEN...NOW (90-minute cut available under "script sample"!)

Recommended by

  • Grace Everett:
    26 Feb. 2022
    “ As a lover of Little Women, I had exceptionally high hopes for this play. Hoke managed to blow my expectations out of the water with a writing style that lends itself perfectly to such a nostalgic story. Extra kudos for such a perfect ending, wrapping everything up so nicely even when the audience is wiping tears away. As a playwright, I hope to write something that makes the audience feel the way I feel after reading this… and as an actress, I want to play every part in the show!! Wonderful script, highly recommend!! ”
  • Arthur M Jolly:
    26 Feb. 2022
    “ With wit, heart, humor and a great depth of understanding for Alcott's characters, Donna Hoke has created an original, exciting and emotionally powerful contemporary imagining of Little Women. There are some wonderfully theatrical moments, and some heart wrenching emotional ones... a fantastic play that will resonate with audiences. ”
  • Aly Kantor:
    26 Feb. 2022
    “ If you love Little Women, you will love pouring over this strong, contemporary adaptation. The essence of the characters is so spot on, even as they're brought into the 21st century! Something as simple as articulating the more oblique facets of their identities (queerness! mental illness!) does so much to help these characters feel three-dimensional and relatable. This adaptation features so many of the moments you love and expect, but peppers in cellphones and booze and the climate crisis in all of these small, surprising ways! Plus, it's full of fabulous roles for women and gorgeous moments of theatricality! ”
View all 13 recommendations

Character Information

Because this is an update from source material of a certain era, it particularly lends itself to diverse casting, so throw a wide net.

  • Mom
    40s,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Mother of four trying to manage a household on her own
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Meg
    17-adult,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    The oldest of four daughters, remembers better times, not particularly ambitious, just wants to be taken care of
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Jo
    15-adult,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Second oldest of four, smart, feminist, independent, introverted
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Beth
    14-adult,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Quiet, anxious, doesn’t interact well with others, connects to Jo
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Amy
    12-adult,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Naive, typical youngest who expects things to revolve around her, and, often, they do
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Laurie
    Any
    ,
    Male
    The boy next door
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • John Brooke
    Any
    ,
    Male
    An older friend of a friend, assured, a little old-fashioned for the 2020s
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Zoetic Stage
    ,
    2020
  • Reading
    ,
    Road Less Traveled Productions
    ,
    2018

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Road Less Traveled Productions
    ,
    2022

Awards

Selection
,
Kilroys List
,
The Kilroys
,
2020