Little Women, the musical, is a physical and poignant reminder of the bond shared between human beings. This Chico State production by the Music, Theatre, and Dance department provides a birds-eye look on relationships, while being packed with both performance and technical bliss.
During the show, we see the development and growth of Jo March – played by Carol Ritzenthaler – and her three sisters; the oldest sister, Meg – played by Rachel Aquilina – the middle sister Beth – played by Elisabeth Nini – and youngest sister Amy – played by Kacey Oschack. We see them become closer and build bonds with each other through marriage with others, proposal, death and turbulent argument.
This growth is something that, although written, is truly made human by these four individuals. I especially appreciated seeing Oschack go from being a bratty and self-indulgent girl to an only semi-self indulgent, refined woman. Her sophisticated personality, taught to her by Aunt March – played by Gabrielle Planells – is something that is not only funny to watch, but allows us to see in ourselves, and the way society deems us okay to be. It serves as a reflection point for what modern manners are, and how we can be taught by those around us.
On the polar opposite is the defiant Jo. Rizenthaler was definitely given “a task to do” with this role, yet performed with grace and power. I personally feel that the acting power she brings comes through in a variety of actions and emotions. From being the guiding figure to her sisters to being aggressive towards Aunt March over manners, to being heartbroken over the death of her sister; her performance truly exuded leaps and bounds.
This is something that director Erin Horst wanted to highlight throughout the show.
“The people that we love become such a big influence on who we become,” Horst said. “Relationships are a part of who we are.”
Horst is additionally set to direct William Shakespeare’s “The Twelfth Night,” a comedic play premiering spring 2026.
A special part of this show is the lighting and special effects, done by Kevin White, the lighting designer, and Chess Sagastume, student associate lighting designer. One in particular is the kite flown during the gut wrenching song, “Some Things Are Meant To Be,” wavering alongside the wind.
Additionally, the set was at times warm and inviting in the March family home, as opposed to dismal and bleak when showing the times Jo was in New York. This contrast of lighting was executed extremely well, without the need to move entire sets to convey a change.
The set in itself was fairly simple at face value, yet full of little bits and bobs including writing desks, bookshelves, birdcages and plants. Seeing the lattice work of the set reminded me of a Les Miserables-style barricade. The set was designed by Chris Mueller, lead scenic designer, and Addison Hill, assistant student scenic designer.
The fight choreography throughout the show was piercing. From sword fights to wrestling, this show did a very thorough and believable job that someone was about to get their lights knocked out. Additionally, this production uses a lot of stylistic body humor, including falling on the floor to imply fake death, and it really is a sight for sore eyes. It not only made me laugh but also was fun to watch.
Adding to the list of wonderful things about this production was the pit orchestra present during the show. Using the pit is becoming uncommon for musicals at Chico State, due to a push for more modern pieces, as well as the desire to not lose the space between the audience and actors that the pit takes up. The use of the pit was a choice made by Horst and Dara Scholz, the production’s music director, and I found the live music to be one of the most soothing parts of the performance.
Another standout performance was that of Marmee, played by Katelyn Fester, as she harrowed through the life of not having her husband due to the Civil War, while raising her daughters and promoting confidence in all of them. Through “Here Alone” and “Days of Plenty,” she brought a musical tone that paired perfectly with her character, making you think your grandmother was singing beside you.
I will say an issue I found with this production, and one that can be found often with high school and college theatre is the lack of age depth in a cast. For this show especially, there were times where older characters like Marmee; Mr. Lawrence, played by Stephen Mason; Aunt March; and Mrs. Kirk, additionally played by Planells, were unbelievable that they were really of old age, simply because in actuality they are 18-25.
Costuming and hair were done by Elizabeth Grace Davis, costume shop supervisor, and student assistant designer, Amelia Kellogg. Davis and Kellogg truly created art in the various forms of large ball gowns and tuxedos that were displayed on the actors. Personally, my favorite costumes were Rizenthaler, Fester and Nini’s beachy Cape Cod dresses, Oschack’s extravagant wedding dress and Aquilina’s trim lined ball gown.
This was the final show of the season for the Music, Theatre and Dance department. The first show of the 2025-2026 theatrical season is Clue, the play, directed by John Crosthwaite.
Damon Gallegos can be reached at [email protected].
