Interview with Jennifer Kim and other crew members

How did it feel to play several different roles in one show? 

It felt daunting, but fun. At first, preparing for multiple roles can seem like a lot, because you’re trying to think through and give each character a full identity in a limited amount of time, but I think it ends up being a really liberating way to act.

Book characters inevitably remind us of real people in our lives. I would imagine that playing a role helps us understand people better and maybe be forgiving to all kinds of character imperfections. How does playing a role help you connect with people in your life?

I think forgiving is a great word to describe the value of the different perspectives you can gain through acting. I feel that, in general, using your imagination to imagine understanding different experiences is helpful with connecting to anyone because, even if the particular context or character you imagine isn’t right, you are at least trying to understand that person on their own terms.

Where did you learn acting? How did you originally come to love it?

I unfortunately don’t have any formal training in acting, but I feel (and hope) that I’m slowly learning acting now, by doing it. I think I’ve always admired that there’s a space in acting (or any other art form) where situations or characters that we maybe can’t afford to accept or appreciate in our everyday lives can be expressed and respected in acting. 

Can you talk about a community of performing artists in New York City? What is the driving force for artistic collaborations, friendships, joint endeavors?

I’ve only come to New York City recently, but I’ve been lucky in meeting wonderful artists of many different mediums in a short time. I don’t know that I’ve had enough experience to say what I think the driving force is generally in this community, but from my experiences, I feel that the driving force and the best reason to partner with people is because everyone is really excited to realize a common idea. I also think that it’s great when the idea or project has lots of layers, meaning that each person has an individual aspiration within the project, while everyone is ultimately partnering to build a common thing. 

Do you ever dream of the impossible? What are some of your aspirations for the future?

I hope to continue learning and to remain open to any and all opportunities to grow as a person and an actor.  

Who created the costumes for this play? They are amazing example of modest attire.

Answer by Julia Sharp, costume designer: 

I am a retired professor of fashion. I have costumed over 50 plays for the professional (Equity) theater at Centenary University and numerous plays for community groups. I am also the author of several textbooks including one on textiles, and another on the use of design elements in creating apparel and costumes. Costuming a play requires communicating with the director about his concepts and discussions and with the actors about their understanding of the characters they are playing and about their specific needs for movement.

Community theaters generally do not have large collections of costumes or large budgets. Cooperation between theaters and being able to borrow costumes and props can significantly improve the appearance of a play. For Little Women, a show with only 2 performances, the budget was too small to create custom costumes, so some costumes were purchased from Amazon. Crinolines came from my personal collection and 2 different theaters; the man’s jacket was borrowed from a 3rd theater and some props came from a 4th theater. 

Costumes assist in setting a play in a specific time and place. They also serve to visually define the characters portrayed by the actors, helping to establish a character’s approximate age, gender, rank or social status, and personality. The choices made in costume design help the audience quickly understand and relate to the characters.

Costumes are not merely replicas of the past; they must be both understandable and believable to a modern audience that may not be familiar with historical fashion details. The costumes for Little Women could not be historically accurate because modern bodies differ significantly from those of the past. In addition, materials used in the past are not readily available and modern actors would find them uncomfortable and restricting. 

To suggest the era of the Civil War, the ladies were dressed in wide bell-shaped skirts, fitted bodices, and puffed sleeves. Crinolines were used rather than hooped underskirts which are difficult to manipulate. As the father of the Macsh family is a poor minister the clothing of the women would be modest and simple. I tried to give each daughter an outfit that suited her personality.

Meg is the oldest daughter. She is responsible and reliable, with a caring nature and no pretensions. The choice of a white blouse and green skirt suggests a simple and humble fashion sense and that Meg is content with her modest lifestyle. The white of her blouse reflects her wholesome, virtuous nature, purity, innocence, and moral integrity. Her skirt is dark green, a color which is associated with nature, health, harmony, and safety. Green is thought to balance our emotions and leaves us feeling safe and secure.

Jo is a tomboy, known for her independent, spirited, and ambitious personality. She rejects the traditional trappings of femininity, loathing such things as parties and performances. I selected a maroon dress for her. The dress had flouncy lace cuffs that I removed as these did not suit her personality. I added a taupe crochet type of lace at the neck to brighten the dress and to bring the eye to her expressive face. Jo’s skirt is not as wide as those of her sisters to symbolize her practicality, nonconformity, and desire to break away from traditional feminine norms of her time, and to reinforce her resistance to conforming to societal norms. Her dress is maroon, a deep and rich color often associated with passion, energy, and determination and representing rebellion and a willingness to stand out from the crowd.

Beth’s personality is characterized by her kindness, empathy, and selflessness. She is the most gentle and compassionate of the sisters. Her death is a significant and poignant moment in the play. The light green and white collar of her dress reflect her shyness and calm serenity. The colors also tend to make her look sickly. The white shawl used when she is dying drains the color from her complexion.

For most of the play. Amy is a vain and self-centered young girl, materialistic and concerned with fashion and social status. Her yellow dress is more fashionable than those of her sisters. Her skirt is much wider than those of her sisters, allowing her to flounce around the stage. Yellow is a color associated with youth, vibrancy, optimism, and effortless innocence. In the 19th century, yellow was sometimes associated with French fashion and society.

Mrs. March’s costume defines her as loving, patient, wise, and morally strong; it is functional and “no nonsense”. Black is the color of protection. The skirt is too shiny for the impoverished family but it was the only one I could find.

Costuming the actor playing all the male parts was difficult. He is a slim young man with very broad shoulders. As there was insufficient time to change costumes, the borrowed cut-away jacket was used for most of the male characters, and it was the actor’s performance that defined the different characters. Mr. March is dressed in a smoking jacket as he is returning home to convalesce from war wounds. The color is similar to that of Jo’s dress suggesting a familial connection.

For me a good play always has a magical element to it. What is the secret of holding the audience’s attention and making them feel that they are transformed into a parallel reality?

Answer by Frank, director. 

The reason for choosing a particular play is if a director believes it can hold an audience's attention and it is directed so that the play can speak for itself. If there is magic in the play it is because the play has that magic to begin with.