The Arctic Playhouse (1249 Main St, West Warwick, Rhode Island) is pleased to announce open auditions for our next show of the 2026 season.

Little Women

Written By: Louisa May Alcott

Directed By: Karen Besson

Stage Manager: Olivia M. Sahlin

AUDITIONS

Wednesday, May 27th, 2026

Thursday, May 28th, 2026

6:30 – 8:30 PM

Auditionees do not need to come to both days of auditions.

PRODUCTION DATES:

October 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 2026 at 7:30 pm

October 4, 11, 18, 2026 at 2:00 pm

(11 Performances)

CAST SIZE:

Roles are available for 8 women, 7 men, and 1 either.

*Ages are flexible, within role description below.

SHOW SYNOPSIS: 

A fast-paced, humorous, and deeply emotional reimagining of a literary masterpiece, refreshed for the modern age.  Conversations in a contemporary voice illuminate the story of the March sisters, four dreamers negotiating society’s expectations in a war-torn world defined by gender, class, and personal tragedy.

AUDITION PREPARATION:

All auditionees should come prepared to the auditions with a current theatrical resume and headshot (please note headshots will not be returned).

Auditionees will be asked to fill out an audition form and include all conflicts from audition date to the end of performances.

Auditions will include sample readings from the script, which will be provided at the audition.

Any Questions, feel free to contact Stage Manager Oliva M. Sahlin at OliviaMSahlin@gmail.com

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

Note – All ages are stage ages. All roles are open to performers of all ethnicities. There may be doubling of roles in this production.

Marmee March (40-50 years old) – The matriarch of the March family. Tough, strong, intelligent social revolutionary ahead of her time.

Aunt March (70+ years old) – The most unpleasant person imaginable who has lots of money, privilege and strong political opinions.  Has an intermittent, hacking disgusting cough.

Meg March (19-27 years old) – The oldest March daughter wears glasses. Acts as Marmee’s second in the house. A romantic who likes nice things.

Jo March (19-26 years old) – The second oldest March. Wants to change the world, is very smart and knows it. Boyish and rough and tumble. Can be quite awkward. A warrior. Has a special relationship with Beth.

Beth March (16-25 years old) – The third March. An extremely special person, very sweet and paralytically shy. Had to be removed from school because of anxiety. Agoraphobic, sheltered by her family. Loves deeply. Sees much more than anyone realizes. An observer.

Amy March (15-24 years old) – The youngest March. Opinionated, spunky, popular and focused on style. Socially intelligent and not the most tolerant of differing viewpoints. Grows up to be quite beautiful and elegant, as we see in Act Two.

Hannah (50-60 years old) – Irish. The March’s longtime housekeeper, cook and de facto babysitter. The boss of the kitchen, a treasure, a terror, a traditionalist.

Mrs. Mingott (40-60 years old) – A very rich, stylish woman. A condescending, not terribly pleasant woman who fancies herself charitable.

Messenger (20-40 years old) – A female messenger. (Can be doubled by actor playing Mrs. Mingott)

Theodore “Laurie” Laurence (19-30 years old) – Sensitive, funny, charming and caring, does not always fit comfortably within the parameters of his given gender role – doesn’t want to grow up to be a soldier or a tedious man of business.  Finds a family in the Marches.

John Brooks (30-40 years old) – Laurie’s tutor, stiff and awkward rule follower. Well educated, feels deeply. May have a limp probably served in the war. Madly in love with Meg.

Parrot – Aunt March’s parrot, pure evil, musty and disgusting bird. A role played by an actor, with a parrot puppet. (Could be doubled by actor paying John Brooks.)

Mr. Laurence (50-70 years old) – Laurie’s grandfather and guardian. Wealthy gentleman, rigid sense of what is appropriate behavior, tends toward gruffness.

Robert March (40-50 years old) – Father to the March girls. Never speaks but his presence looms large. Wounded in the war, never quite recovers. A significant limp. Role can be doubled by actor playing the Doctor.

Mr. Dashwood (50-60 years old) – A publisher of cheap newspapers and novels. Fancies himself a realist. Not a nice guy but fancies himself a nice guy. (Can be doubled by actor playing Robert March)

Doctor – Non-speaking

PRODUCTION NOTES:

Accents:  Hannah, the maid, has an Irish accent. Flexibility with this, depending on the actor chosen. Rehearsals will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, 6:30-9:30 pm, with possible Saturdays 1:00-4:00 pm if required. Any questions.  Please contact Stage Manager: Oliva M. Sahlin at oliviamsahlin@gmail.com

The Arctic Playhouse is committed to the values of equal opportunity in casting. Roles are awarded based on an individual’s ability to perform the material and their capacity to collaborate as part of the ensemble. Every performer is considered with fairness and respect, and casting decisions are made to create a strong, cohesive company that brings the production to life together.