North Coast Repertory Theatre presents: A World Premiere Adaptation of a Play with Music, Little Women. Previews are from February 17 - 19, 2010. Show Dates: February 20 - March 14, 2010.
Adapted by Jacqueline Goldfinger
Book by Louisa May Alcott
Directed by Kirsten Brandt
Featuring Maddie Baldwin, Brooke Byler, Caroline Kinsolving*,
Aaryn Kopp, Linda Libby*, Brian Mackey, Tim Parker
A World Premiere production commissioned by North Coast Rep, Little Women is a new adaptation of the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel by award-winning playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger. Little Women has been designed especially for our intimate stage and is highlighted with period music. Set in Concord, Massachusetts, in the 1860s, the play chronicles the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March and the indomitable Marmee. Audiences of all ages will be charmed by this engaging tale of love and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Jacqueline Goldfinger (Adapter) Jacqueline Pardue Goldfinger is a dramaturge and award-winning playwright from Tallahassee, Florida (M.F.A. University of Southern California, 2004; B.A. Agnes Scott College, 2000). She is the Literary Associate at Philadelphia Theatre Company. In New York, her work has been produced Off- Off Broadway at the New York International Fringe Festival and 13th Street Rep. In 2009, her new play, The Oath, will be produced Off-Broadway at Arclight Theatre by Maieutic Theatre Works. Her work has also been developed and produced around the country at Azuka Theatre (Philadelphia), Drama Garage (Los Angeles), Northern Writes New Play Festival (Bangor), Last Frontier Theatre Conference (Valdez), Short + Sweet Festival (Sydney, Australia), Cardboard Box Collaborative (Philadelphia), Ion Theatre (San Diego), Compass Theater (San Diego), Sewanee Writers Conference (University of the South), Festival of New Screenplays (Los Angeles), Experimental Theatre at San Diego State University (San Diego), Playwrights Collective (San Diego), Florida Studio Theatre (Sarasota), Agnes Scott College (Atlanta), and the Young Playwrights Festival (Atlanta). Her independent film, Firefly, was produced and distributed by Meteor International. Her adaptation of A Christmas Carol is published by Playscripts. She has been commissioned twice by North Coast Repertory Theatre. In 2007, she was named a Tennessee Williams Scholar in Playwriting by the University of the South. Her awards include: Winner, Playwrights1Theatre's National Plays for the 21st Century Competition; Winner, Ohio Independent Film Festival Screenplay Competition; Winner, Film Industry Network Screenplay Competition; Finalist, WriteMovies Competition; Semi-finalist, Lark New Play Development Center's Playwrights Week; Semi-finalist, Stone New Play Award; Semi-finalist, TNT New Play Competition. She works as a Dramaturge at Arden Theatre Company, Native Voices, North Coast Repertory Theatre, New Village Arts, and the Collective Theatre Company and as an Assistant Dramaturge at La Jolla Playhouse and The Old Globe. She teaches Dramaturgy and Dramatic Writing at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), Platt College, and San Diego Writers Ink. She's published in LMDA Review, Beacon Street Review, Southern Theater Magazine, and La Jolla Playhouse Spotlight. She also worked as the Artistic Assistant to Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Des McAnuff at La Jolla Playhouse, a Literary Assistant for Center Theatre Group's 2005 New Works Festival, and as a Script Reader for Lion's Gate Films. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild of nAmerica (DGA), the Literary Managers and Dramaturges of the Americas (LMDA), and the Philadelphia Dramatists Center (PDC).
Kirsten Brandt (Director) NCR Debut. Kirsten has directed for San Jose Rep, TheatreWorks, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego REP, Diversionary and Sledgehammer (Artistic Director from 1999-2005). She was the Associate Artistic Director of San Jose Rep (2007-2009) where she recently directed the West Coast Premiere of Groundswell. Kirsten has received two San Diego Critic Circle Awards and several Pattés. She studied theatre at UCSD and currently lives in Santa Cruz and lectures at UCSC.
Maddie Baldwin (Amy) is thrilled to be participating in her first production at North Coast Rep. San Diego appearances include The Old Globe: Grinch(Bootsie, '06, 07) (Phyllis); ACE (Side Kick/U.S. Emily); San Diego Opera: Tosca(Children's Chorus); San Diego Lyric Opera: The Waltz Dream(Mezzo Chorus Member); Francis Parker School: A Chorus Line(Maggie); You Can't Take It With You(Penny Sycamore); San Diego Junior Theatre: The Wizard of Oz(Glinda); CATS (Grizabella); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Lucille/Ensemble); Peter Pan(Indian); Alice in Wonderland(Mama Pansy/Ensemble); Annie (Orphan); The Sound of Music(Brigitta); Madeline's Rescue(Orphanage Girl), and most recently, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Sally Brown). A junior year honors student at Francis Parker School, Maddie received a 2009 National Youth Theatre Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical and a 2009 Globe Honors Award.
Brooke Byler (Beth) Brooke holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of San Diego. In college, she had the opportunity to write and stage two original one-act plays, act in several shows in USD's Black Box Theatre, and in Songs for a New World in USD's Sacred HeArt Theatre. Her acting credits include The Vagina Monologues while studying abroad on Semester at Sea, and Juliet in The Shakespeare Society's locally traveling play, Romeo & Juliet Deconstructed. Brooke also was an active member for a year in San Diego's popular improv troupe, The Hinges.
Caroline Kinsolving* (Jo) Caroline grew up in New England and is the daughter of two writers. Among the schools she was privileged to attend are Milton Academy, The Mountain School, Vassar, Harbin and Beijing Universities in China, Stella Adler (NYC), and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. After studying and working in theatre in London and New York, she moved to LA and has been working in Film, Television, and Theatre. Her favorite roles include Viola in Twelfth Night, Rosalind in As You Like It, and one of the leads in Almost, Maine. She is grateful to be working on this extraordinary story and thanks her mother for inspiration. Caroline invites you to visit her at http://www.facebook.com/l/e5fa6;www.CarolineKinsolving.com.
Aaryn Kopp (Meg) Aaryn is thrilled to be a part of NCR's production of Little Women. She most recently was seen at NCR in A Christmas Carol. Other regional credits include: Jane in The Women (The Old Globe) Mother in The Pillowman (Wilma Theatre), Calpurnia in Julius Caesar (New Village Arts Theatre), Olivia in Twelfth Night (Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre), and Anne/Ensemble in Even Yet, It's Mighty Daring Sings (X Repertory Theatre). Aaryn received a B.F.A in acting from West Virginia University and a certificate in acting from the Moscow Art Theatre at ART/Harvard University.
