The Concord Players trace their history to 1856 and the Concord Dramatic Union, which Louisa May Alcott and her sisters helped to found. Alfred Whitman, a close friend of the Alcott family, wrote in 1857, "In the vestry of the Unitarian Church, we erected a portable stage ... The scenes from Dickens dramatized by Louisa were among the best of the production" ... Whitman found himself in an "exciting whirl of a mass of plays" -- much like life with the Concord Players today.

In 1872, the Union became the Concord Dramatic Club and, ultimately, in 1919, the Concord Players. Thus, when you observe the March sisters rehearsing Jo's play, The Witch's Curse, in this 1992 production, you are also watching the beginning of the Concord Players.

The Players first performed Little Women in 1932 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Louisa's birth. This premiere performance of David Fielding Smith's adaptation continues the tradition of presenting the play every ten years.

Louisa May Alcott, prolific author, tireless reformer, proud, independent spinster and Civil War nurse, created Joe March, her most memorable character, from the stuff of her own life. She made changes to fit the conventions of her day, yet Jo's personality matches that of her creator, "born with a boy's spirit under my bib and tucker." The March family represents the soul of the Alcott family, from their generosity in the face of poverty to their unbridled delight in homemade theatricals.

At first, Miss Alcott chafed at her publisher's request for "a girl's story," saying "never liked girls or knew many except my sisters; but our plays and experiences may prove interesting, though I doubt it." But after reading proofs of Little Women, she wrote "It reads better than I expected. Not a bit sensational, but simple and true, for we really lived most of it; and if it succeeds, that will be the reason of it ... some girls who have read the manuscripts say it is 'splendid!' As it is for them, they are the best critics, so I should be satisfied."

By 1888 Louisa had published over twenty-five books for children and adults, counless shourt stories, and thrillers, and her circle of "best critics" had become international. At that time, the translator of the Alcott books into Dutch wrote: "Miss Alcott was and is so much beloved here by her books that you could scares find a girl that had not read one or more of them." In 1992, well over a century since its first publication, Little Women continues to be one of the most beloved books around the world.

About the Image Transfer Process

The Image Transfer (Mono) Print is produced using Polaroid film. A photograph is copied onto Polaroid Type 669 film. The developing process is interrupted and the carrier sheet, or negative is pressed onto watercolor paper. Some of the dyes remain on the paper. The portraits retain the realism of photography while adding the soft glow of a watercolor rendering. While more than one print may be made from an image, each print is unique since the amount of dye transferred and the adhesiveness is variable.

All the photos were produced by Dave Chase of The Martin Studio