Portland Center Stage & Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Playwright Lauren M. Gunderson Director Joanie Schultz Scenic Design Chelsea M. Warren Costume Design Lucy Wells Lighting Design Sarah Hughey Sound Design & Composition T.Carlis Roberts Production Photography Mikka Schaffner, Cincinnati & Jinzi Zhao, Portland
Production Trailer: here
critical response below
REVIEWS
Willamette Week, Laura Wheatman Hill: “The gorgeous set designed by Chelsea M. Warren encloses the stage in branches and uses warm, dark wood accents. The windows that fly in and out match the layout of Alcott’s childhood home and the setting for Little Women, Orchard House. Clever staging using these set pieces—notably the curtain where Laurie and Jo meet—make it clear this is a play, not a staging of a book or a rehashing of a movie.”
Oregon ArtsWatch by Darlene Ortega: “The design elements buoy this retelling. Chelsea Warren, a long-time collaborator with Schultz who is working at PCS for the first time, gives us a scenic design that is both magical and spartan.
This isn’t a purely realistic retelling, as the cast members move between first and third person and themselves move set pieces during the play’s action. But the set, along with sound design by T. Carlis Roberts and lighting design by Sarah Hughey, work to convey a sense of magic emerging from practical inventiveness. The costumes by Lucy Wells are true to the period, but with more modern flourishes that support a sense that the production wants to keep the story moving toward current relevance.”
Cincinnati Business Courier, Rick Pender: “The creative team for "Little Women" was assembled from Schultz’s long creative experience. Scenic designer Chelsea Warren from Pittsburgh has crafted more than 30 shows for Schultz, including several at the Playhouse. The show’s sound and lighting designers were Schultz’s grad school colleagues at Northwestern University. The costume designer is Portland Center Stage’s costume shop manager.”
Broadway World, Krista Garver: “Scenic designer Chelsea M. Warren's set works smartly within its simplicity, providing several beautiful visual effects that enhance the production without overwhelming the intimate family story.”
Talking Broadway, Rick Pender: “Scenic, lighting, sound, and costume designs are further pluses to the show. Chelsea Warren's set, with two banks of suspended, wood-framed, 12-paned windows surrounded by twining vines and foliage evoke the New England setting. Lovely touches include bird songs (sound design by T. Carlis Roberts) and red ornaments that show up momentarily on the vines when the story's events happen at Christmas. Modest furnishings–a fireplace, Alcott's writing desk, Beth's piano (used plaintively during her period of declining health)–all come and go with carefully arranged movement. Sarah Hughey's lighting design offers subtle accents to enhance the moods of various scenes. Period costumes by Lucy Wells are authentic to the era with subtle nods to each character.”