Little Women: The Musical

OLIVIA AKPAN ’29 Olivia is a third form student from Roxbury, N.J. This is the first show she has been involved in at Hill. She is very glad she took part in making this show come to life alongside such a dedicated and creative team. Outside of theatre, she also participates in track and field, Hill News, the Crochet and Knitting Club, and the BSU. Special thanks to the tech crew and directors for their guidance, creativity, and support throughout each production.

JOSHUA ANSU ’26 Joshua is a sixth form student from Gilbertsville, Pa. Little Women is his first theatre show ever, and he's excited to dive into the realm of acting. Outside of the theatre, you can find Josh on the stage playing the saxophone, singing, or jumping on the track. Josh would like to thank his mother and father, and his brother, who's part of the reason he decided to try theatre. Enjoy the show!

ANAIKA BANDI ’27 Anaika is a fifth form day student from Chester Springs, Pa. This is their seventh full show, and fifth in tech, after their role as “Demian” in last year's Der Vogel, and “Agnes” in She Kills Monsters in the fall preseason workshop. Since third form year, Anaika has been dedicated to the theatre department and any role or task they have been assigned. They want to give special thanks to their friends, both in the program and outside of it, along with all theatre staff and faculty, past and present.

PAYTON BARTH ’26 Payton is a sixth form student from Chester Springs, Pa. This is her fifth show at Hill. She has been in Carrie (Sue), Noises Off! (Belinda Blair) and Spelling Bee (Olive). She would like to thank her family and friends for always supporting her, as well as the Hill faculty who have helped her throughout this process. She hopes you enjoy the show!

CLAIRE BRESSI ’26 Claire is a sixth form student from Schwenksville, Pa. This is her fifth Hill School show, and third time being onstage. Outside of being in the CFTA for theatre, she is the president of the Orchestra and a member of the student band, TST. She loves the band, Oasis. She wants to thank her parents for being so supportive of her during this process, as well as everyone who was involved in this production for all their hard work and effort. She hopes you enjoy the show!

ADELIA CHISM ’26 Adelia is a sixth form student from Philadelphia, Pa. This is her first theatre production at Hill! She is also involved in the student band, serves as a Head of Tour, plays ice hockey and softball, and is a Classics Fellow. She wants to give special thanks to her family for their support, friends for helping run lines, and to the cast of this production for making these rehearsals fun!

CATIE CITRINO ’29 Catie is a third form student from Collegeville, Pa. Some of the shows she has been in are Moana, Willy Wonka (Grandma Josephine), and Annie (Annette), as well as She Kills Monsters (Lilith) in the fall preseason workshop.

JULIANA DUARTE ’27 Juliana is a fifth form student from the Bay Area, Calif., and is thrilled to be playing Amy in Little Women! This is her second mainstage production at Hill, after appearing in Carrie: The Musical as Chris Hargensen. She also appeared in both the 2024 and 2025 theatre preseason performances, where she most recently played “Mary Warren” in The Crucible. Juliana is grateful to her director, stage manager, castmates, tech crew, and costume team for making this production so special. She would also like to thank her mom and dad for giving her the opportunity to be here. She hopes you enjoy the performance as much as she has enjoyed being a part of it!

CHARLOTTE EBSWORTH ’28 Charlotte is a fourth form student from England, and Little Women is her first show at Hill! She would like to thank her friends for getting her into theatre and her family for making the opportunity possible.

BRADY HERZOG ’27 Brady is a fifth form student from Coatesville, Pa. This is his sixth show here at Hill, and he is excited to be a part of Little Women. He would like to thank everyone in the theatre department for their continuous support. He would also like to thank his family for their support throughout everything, as well as everyone else in his life who has helped him to where he is today. In his free time, you can find him watching the Phillies, hanging out with friends, or at the dining hall. He hopes you enjoy Little Women!

SAHANA JHA ’27 Sahana is a fifth form student from Princeton, N.J. This is her second time performing in a show at Hill, after being a part of Der Vogel/Page to Stage last spring and playing “Evil Gabbi” in She Kills Monsters during preseason. She loves to write poetry and short stories, and she can often be found taking walks around campus. She would like to thank her family, her advisory, and all of the friends who have supported her during her time at The Hill School.

EMERSON KELLIE ’28 Emerson is a fourth form student at Hill and a graduate of the Wyndcroft School. She starred in the 2022 production of Moana Junior at Wyndcroft playing the lead role of Moana. She also starred in The Hill School’s 2023 production of Les Misérables, playing the role of young Cosette. Last year she was the assistant stage manager for Noises Off in the fall and performed in Der Vogel in the spring.

OTTO MAENTZ ’27 Otto is a fifth form student from Park City, Utah, and he does sound engineering for the theatre program. This show is his first show working in tech, and his second show for The Hill School. Last spring he played a variety of ensemble characters in Der Vogel. Otto also wrestles in the heavyweight class for the varsity wrestling team.

EVAN MEYERS ’28 Evan is a fourth form student from Berwyn, Pa. While this is technically his first full term of theatre, he participated in tech crew for the fall preseason workshop and ran special effects for Carrie last year. He would like to thank his parents for being so supportive about his journey into the theatre world.

JAHIEM PRATT ’26 Jahiem is sixth form student and this is his seventh show with The Ellis Theatre Guild and 18th overall. Memorable roles include Roger Tramplemain (Noises Off), Colonel Mustard (Clue), the schoolboy (Les Misérables), and John Proctor (The Crucible). Outside of theatre, Jahiem is involved in various dance groups, as well as a leader of different groups, and he hopes you enjoy the performance!

JAYDON ROBINSON ’28 Jaydon is a fourth form student from Pottstown, Pa., and is thrilled to be a part of Hill’s theatre program! He has been in previous shows including Noises Off, Annie, Moana, and The Phantom Tollbooth, and played Benvolio in Romeo & Juliet during the fall preseason workshop. Some of his favorite hobbies are playing basketball, traveling, singing, acting, and watching movies! He is excited to continue learning with the Ellis Theatre Guild!

LYDIA SAHIN ’28 Lydia is a fourth form student from Antalya, Turkey. This is her first time doing tech, and it has been incredible so far. She hopes to work on more theatre productions in the future! Thank you to all of theatre crew, especially Mr. G, for being so welcoming. She hopes you enjoy the show as much as they enjoyed working on it!

SIMON VEGA ’26 Simon is a sixth form student and has been a part of theatre tech since third form year! He’s assisted in seven shows so far, from Clue to Les Mis, and this will be his eighth show! When he’s not helping build sets and swapping scenes behind the scenes, you can find him in the library reading or at any of the DEI or HASOGI meetings around campus! He hopes you all enjoy the show!

ABBY WALSH ’26 Abby is a returning sixth form student from Yardley, Pa., and delighted to bring her love for the book Little Women to the stage as Meg March. Outside theatre, she serves as a prefect in Johnson House, Dutch Village, and is in Mr. Gettings’ advisory (shout out!). A special thanks to her amazing mom, as well as the incredible tech team. She’s truly thrilled to share this experience with such a wonderful cast and sends extra love to new cast members shining in their first moments on the big stage: Vivi, Adelia, Josh, Yiyi, Charlotte, and Catie. You’ve got this!

YIYI WAN ’28 Yiyi is a fourth form student from Shanghai, China. This is her first year doing theatre at Hill, and she’s so grateful to be part of the welcoming and supportive cast of Little Women. Outside of theatre, she’s been training in ballet for 10 years, which has shaped her passion for the performing arts.

STELLA WU ’27 Stella is a fifth form student from Beijing, China. Little Women is the third musical she has worked on at Hill, and she is very excited to be part of the production again. In her third form year, she participated in the The Prom as a member of the ensemble, and last winter she played the role of Frieda in Carrie. At the same time, Stella is also a proud part of the Hill School Boat Club, and she encourages everyone to join in the spring. Stella is very excited to be playing Aunt March in Little Women, and she is very grateful for all the faculty and teachers for supporting her along this journey. Stella also appreciates all her friends and family for their constant encouragement and love, and she hopes you enjoy the show!

LINGYUAN YAN ’27 Lingyuan is a fifth former from Seattle, Wash. This is the second show he’s been part of. He would like to thank Nhi and Tonsun for getting him into tech (gone but not forgotten!). He also enjoys fencing, skiing, and biking.

VIVI ZVARICK ’28 Vivi is a fourth form student from Collegeville, Pa. She has previously worked on Mary Poppins, The Lion King, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, though this is the first show she's acted in! She would like to thank everyone she worked with this season, and her friends and family. She hopes you enjoy the performance and also hopes you don't cry too much!

BOBBY GOODRICH (Production Designer / Marketing Manager) Bobby Goodrich arrived at The Hill School in the fall of 2019 as a production designer, overseeing all the costume, wig, makeup, scenic and properties designs for the Ellis Theatre Guild. They now serve as the Theatre Production Designer and Marketing Manager. A native of Philadelphia, they studied Theatre at Clarion University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Theatre Design and Musical Theatre. While at Clarion, Bobby was the resident costume designer for two seasons of the Summer Musical Theatre Workshop. Following their time at Clarion, they apprenticed at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, where they worked in costumes, wardrobe, and makeup. In 2015, Bobby made their off-Broadway debut as "Divine" in the world premiere of DIVINE/ INTERVENTION. Bobby continues to work throughout the tri-state area as a cabaret artist, actor, and designer.

PETER GORNEAULT (Technical Director) Peter has been with The Hill as the Technical Theatre Director since the fall of 2021. He has a Master of Fine Arts in Lighting and Scenic Design from the University of Georgia, and a B.S. from SUNY Oneonta in Technical Theatre. Prior to Hill, Peter worked five years as a Live Events designer for Bentley Meeker Lighting and Staging in Manhattan, where he produced more than 125 live shows annually, three years as the in-house Production and Facilities Manager for the Mark Morris Dance Group, and six years as the Technical Director for the Wang Center at Stony Brook University. Peter’s passion has always been educational theatre. He is proud to be a member of The Hill community and excited to continue to develop the theatrical program at The Hill.

KAT ROSS KLINE (Director/Choreographer) Kat Ross Kline joined The Hill School Theatre Department in 2023 as head of the Theatre Department and Director of the Ellis Theatre Guild. With more than 20 years of experience in the performing arts, Kat has directed and choreographed more than 75 plays and musicals, including Fun Home, The Sound of Music, Footloose, Anything Goes, Into the Woods, She Loves Me, and Dogfight. Other professional credits include Broadway’s A Tale of Two Cities 10^th Anniversary Reunion Concert and regional productions such as Billy Elliot and A Christmas Story at BTOP. Kat holds a master's degree in Theatre from Villanova University and is a proud member of SDC. She is dedicated to mentoring young artists, guiding them through collaborative, hands-on experiences that foster creativity, confidence, and artistry. Through directing and teaching. Kat aims to inspire her students to tell meaningful stories and create theatre that resonates with audiences.

KRISTEN VONWACHENFELDT (Production Stage Manager) joined The Hill School in 2024 as the Theatre Production Manager. She received her B.F.A. in Music Theatre from Elon University and began her professional acting career as a performer on Disney Cruise Lines (Belle), followed by regional productions in NYC and D.C. NJ/PA credits include Maria (Sound of Music); Clara (33 Variations), Lead Female (Journey to Broadway, original cast); Laurey (Oklahoma); Lily (Secret Garden), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Emma (Jekyll/Hyde); and is featured on original cast recording of Born to Learn: The Montessori Story, as Maria Montessori. Kristen has a background in event management, school administration, and community engagement, and she has been living the boarding school life with her family since 2014. She is passionate about creating meaningful and seamless experiences that bring people together, especially through the art of theatre!

ALLAN KNEE (Author) is the author of the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan, which was the source for the film Finding Neverland (starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet), which received an Academy Award nomination for best picture, and the subsequent musical, currently touring the U.S. He wrote the book for the Broadway musical Little Women which premiered in Tokyo this fall and will have a national tour in England next season. Among his other works are the four-part adaptation of The Scarlet Letter for the PBS, the dance drama, Syncopation, about the passion of two workers to become ballroom champions in 1914, which was awarded for best regional play, and The Jazz Age, which currently placed at the Playground Theatre in London. His latest work, The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit (music by Andre Catrini) premiered this November at the Hope Theatre in Manchester, England. Allan is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.

MINDI DICKSTEIN (Lyricist) is an award-winning lyricist, librettist, and playwright. She wrote lyrics for the Broadway musical Little Women, which has had productions across the USA and around the world, most recently in Tokyo, Japan, and Manchester, England. She is the lyricist for Benny and Joon, a new musical based on the MGM film, which had its world premiere at The Old Globe, San Diego, and east coast premiere at The Paper Mill Playhouse. Benny and Joon was developed at NAMT, Transport Group, Running Deer Musical Theater Lab, Goodspeed Johnny Mercer Colony, Theatreworks Silicon Valley, and the Rhinebeck Retreat. Among her other works are TRIP (book and lyrics), commissioned by Playwrights Horizons; Toy Story - The Musical (book), Disney Creative Entertainment; Starving to Death in Midtown (a short play), Climate Change Theater Action; Beasts and Saints (book and lyrics), Boston Music Theater Project; The Existential Gourmet, Jane Chambers Award; and Guadeloupe, West Beth Theater Center. Mindi's songs have been performed widely, most notably as part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook ("Hear and Now: Contemporary Lyricists") and at the Kennedy Center.  Awards and honors include: a Jonathan Larson Grant, Massachusetts Artists and New York Foundation for the Arts playwriting fellowships, ASCAP Workshop Bernice Cohen Award, Second Stage Constance Klinsky Award, and a PEN International New Playwright Award (selected by Wendy Wasserstein). She received her MFA from New York University's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, where she was an Oscar Hammerstein Fellow.

JASON HOWLAND (Composer) is an honors graduate of Williams College (1993), is a Grammy Award winning producer, Emmy Award winning arranger, and Tony nominated producer. He is the composer of Broadway’s 2005 TONY nominated Little Women - The Musical. Howland was nominated for a Tony Award in 1999 for co- producing the The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh and won an Emmy Award in 2007 for creating and composing the Christmas special Handel's Messiah Rocks for the Boston Pops. He is the Arranger and Music Supervisor for the smash hit Beautiful - The Carole King Musical (Broadway, West End, US National Tour, Tokyo, Australian National Tour, UK National Tour) for which he won a Grammy Award; Bonnie and Clyde, Wonderland, Jekyll & Hyde, The Civil War, The Scarlet Pimpernel, in addition to music directing the mega-hit Les Misérables, and Boy George’s Taboo. International projects as an arranger and orchestrator include Frank Wildhorn’s stage adaptation of the Japanese Anime sensation Death Note for HoriPro, and two new shows Mata Hari and The Man Who Laughs. Recent theater projects include composing and orchestrating the original score for Ikiru, a new musical based on the Kurosawa film, that premiered in Tokyo, Oct 2018, Last Days of Summer (Kansas City rep), and Paradise Square at Berkeley Repertory Theater.

Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.

“I will blaze until I find my time and place” — Jo March, Little Women: The Musical

These words from Jo March capture not only her fiery determination but also the spirit of Louisa May Alcott, the author of the novel and inspiration for the lead character in this play. It is a declaration of resilience, growth, and self-discovery — themes that feel just as urgent now as they did over 150 years ago. At its core, Little Women is not just the story of four sisters growing up; it’s about finding one’s voice, holding fast to dreams, and learning that love and ambition can coexist.

Alcott created characters so deeply human that they continue to resonate with modern audiences — people still see themselves in Jo’s determination, Beth’s kindness, Meg’s balance, and Amy’s unapologetic ambition. Alcott herself was a woman ahead of her time: fiercely independent, intellectually curious, and unwilling to be confined by the expectations of her era. Through Jo, she learned how to “sail her ship” and  gave voice to her own rebellion against the limitations placed on women — and in doing so, created a timeless celebration of individuality and courage.

What makes Little Women even more enduring is its honesty. Alcott wrote from her own experiences and emotions, unfiltered and unembellished, and that truth is what audiences still connect to today. In many ways, the story is also a reflection on what it means to be authentic as an artist — to create from a place of honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable or misunderstood. Jo March’s journey is not about perfection; it’s about daring to write, speak, and live truthfully. That is the heart of great art — and it’s what I hope our students take with them long after the curtain falls.

First published in 1868, Little Women became an instant classic and one of the most beloved works in American literature. Its portrayal of family, imagination, and independence struck a chord with readers who saw their own struggles reflected in the March sisters’ lives. Nearly a century and a half later, Little Women: The Musical brought those same themes to the stage. With music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and book by Allan Knee, the 2005 Broadway production transformed Alcott’s novel into a vibrant theatrical experience. The show preserves the warmth and humor of the original story while giving it a new emotional immediacy through song — reminding audiences that dreams, no matter how improbable, are always worth chasing.

We chose Little Women for The Hill School because its story speaks so clearly to our community. It’s about family, friendship, perseverance, and growing into the person you are meant to be — themes that mirror the journey our students take every day. The process of bringing this show to life has allowed our cast and crew to reflect on their own storms and triumphs, learning to “sail their ships” together with courage and heart.

I hope you were inspired today to chase your own dreams boldly, to embrace the storms that shape you, and to cherish the people who guide you through them-the ones who “make the clouds disappear”. Thank you for supporting our students, our program, and the arts at Hill.

Kat Ross Kline
Director