Award Winning Theatre Group Brings A Remixed LITTLE WOMEN To NYC

After touring the USA and UK with their award-winning, sell-out debut production, LADIES IN WAITING: THE JUDGEMENT OF HENRY VIII, Tier5 is excited to premiere its second show, MEG JO BETH AMY & LOUISA at the Balcony Theatre at the Center at West Park, as a part of its Spring Residency Program.

Assigned with the super boring task of writing a novel for young girls, Louisa May Alcott finds herself in a state of writer's block. That is until she turns to figures and stories from her own life. The lines between fact and fiction begin to blur, as her novel, Little Women, is played out upon the stage. Louisa's self-examination of her own sexuality, as well as unfinished family drama, weaves itself through the story in quirky, queer, and sentimental ways. Life may be the best inspiration, but what if you are afraid to learn who you are?

"Over 150 years ago, Louisa May Alcott, a single woman, rose from poverty to independent wealth and an incredible level of celebrity by writing what is still considered an American classic," said Hilary Kelman, who plays Louisa May Alcott in the production, as well as serves as a producer, "Add on top, she struggled with her sexuality and gender identity...in the 19th century. Her story would be intriguing enough in 2019, but she lived it during the decades surrounding the American Civil War."

The piece was devised from the ground up by Tier5's revise/devise ensemble, through research, improvisations, and writing exercises, while mixing in their personal sense of humor and beliefs. Ariel Francouer, who directed and led the devising process explains, "As we devised our play over the course of a year, our research of Louisa May Alcott began to coincide with the current administration's battle against the trans community, and their efforts to dictate who people can love. It became our duty to make our whimsical tale something more: a revelation of Louisa's identity (found in her own journals and interviews), and a call for the besieged among us to push against societal restraints, no matter what the time period."

MEG JO BETH AMY & LOUISA's cast also includes James Cougar Canfield (Niles the Publisher), Martine Fleurisma (Meg March/Anna Alcott), Amy Frey (Jo March), Michelle Walker (Beth March/Lizzie Alcott), Margaret Gorrell (Amy March/May Alcott), Dina Laura (Marmee/Abigail Alcott/Aunt March), Mel Gonzales (Theodore "Laurie" Laurence), Ben Cardona (John F. Brooke/etc.), Brandon Thomas Martin (Bhaer/Mr. March/etc.), and Dana Placentra (Lady/etc.)

The Center at West Park is a home for the arts, culture, and community in the historic West Park Presbyterian Church, a New York City landmark. The Center is a secular not-for-profit organization that offers a diverse range of programs for artists, audiences, and the neighborhood; manages the building's facilities; and stewards the restoration of its historic exterior. To learn more about the Center, visit ?www.centeratwestpark.org?.

For further information, please contact James Canfield on 281-795-1662, via e-mail at thelittlewomenplay@gmail.com, or visit us on Twitter (@megjobethamylou) or Facebook (facebook.com/MegJoBethAmyandLouisa).

MEG JO BETH AMY & LOUISA was developed in a workshop presentation at Dixon Place.

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