AUDITION NOTICE: Little Women, November 7, 2026

Ottawa Little Theatre presents

Little Women
Written by: Kate Hamill

Directed by: Cynthia Sugars

Production Dates:
February 24 – March 13 2027 at 7:30 pm (Wednesdays – Saturdays) and matinees on February 28 & March 7 at 2:30 pm (Sundays)
All actors must be available for all performances. 

Open Call Auditions:

Auditions will be held on: Saturday, November 7, 2026, 10:00 am  – 5:30 pm.

10:00 am call: Actors* auditioning for Marmee and the March sisters.

*Actors we are considering for callbacks will be asked to stay until 5:30 to do scenes with other characters. We will have a half hour lunch break in between.

1:30 pm call: All other parts (Laurie, John Brooks, Aunt March, Hannah, Mr. Laurence, Robert March)

Callbacks will be on Monday, November 9, 2026, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to fill out your audition card.

Audition Location:
Ottawa Little Theatre
400 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa
(Please use 235 Besserer Street entrance.)

Backstage Orientation:
Simultaneously with the November 7 audition, A BACKSTAGE ORIENTATION and tour of the theatre will be offered by a member of the Volunteer Committee for anyone interested in working behind the scenes on any future production. Descriptions of each of the various Volunteer Positions can be found in the Volunteer section of this website.

Synopsis:
Jo March doesn’t want to be like other girls; in fact, she’s not even sure that she wants to be a girl. Jo is ambitious, rough around the edges, headstrong, and yearns for a future she can’t yet articulate. As the nation is torn apart by civil war, Jo and her sisters struggle with what it means to grow up. Restrictive gender roles, political beliefs, poverty, and even love itself threaten to break family ties, as the March sisters try to reconcile their identities with society’s demands. How do you stay true to yourself when the world wants you to become a perfect little woman?

Setting:
The American Civil War era, Massachusetts (1860s). Takes place mainly in the March house and in the neighbouring Laurence estate.

Character Descriptions 

Though the daughters are young, the storyline spans a few years, so they get older over the course of the play. Actors auditioning for the daughters can be anywhere from age 14 to 27. Older actors are more likely to be considered for Meg and Jo, and actors in their teens for Beth and Amy. Be prepared to play a role younger than your actual age.

Singing: Ideally, we are looking for the actors who play the four daughters, and possibly Marmee, to be able to sing in harmony at different points in the play. Please note if you are willing to sing a short folksong at the audition (see the song link at the bottom of this notice).

Beth and Laurie both play piano. If an actor auditioning can play piano, please let us know! Feel free to send the director a video of your playing (csugars@uottawa.ca )

 NOTE: Actors auditioning for the daughters can be anywhere from age 14 to 27:

MEG MARCH – age 16 (but this is 16 for the 1860s, so more like our 22-23 today) – The oldest March sister. She takes on the responsibilities of a mother figure. A romantic at heart. Likes to dress up and be the lady of the house.

JO MARCH – age 15 (~19-21 today) – The second oldest. Does not conform to conventional gender roles. Ambitious and fiery and often impatient. Things do not move quickly enough for her. She aspires to be a great writer. Passionate, intelligent, and ahead of her time, she wants to change the world. She has a very close relationship with Beth.

BETH MARCH– age 13 (~17-18 today) – The third-oldest sister. Very shy, with possible social anxiety. Had to be taken out of school because of this. She loves deeply and has deep empathy for everyone. An observer and a healer, she is content with the simple things in life. She plays the piano well.

AMY MARCH – age 12 (~14-16 today) – The youngest sister. Extremely opinionated and often superficial; she likes to impress others by using big words. She is somewhat self-absorbed, focussed on her appearance and image. Her bad temper gets her into trouble.

MARMEE MARCH – 40s – The mother of the family. A social activist who cares about the community and her family. Strong, brave, intelligent. Keeps the family together. Contributes to the war effort.

AUNT MARCH – 60s-80s – The most unpleasant and judgemental elderly woman imaginable. Has lots of money and privilege. Fiercely opinionated. Has an intermittent hacking cough. Should be played for comedy.

HANNAH – 40s-60s – The March’s longtime housekeeper, cook, and babysitter. Could be played as Irish. Matter-of-fact, takes no nonsense. She is the boss of the kitchen and knows the daughters inside out. Does not hesitate to weigh in on family matters. (The role of Hannah may be doubled up with that of Mrs. Mingott, a wealthy stylish woman, and a messenger.)

THEODORE “LAURIE” LAURENCE – 20s – A handsome, wealthy, and well-mannered young man. Sensitive, funny, and charming, but also a little lonely and lost. He doesn’t fit into the masculine prototype of the era. An accomplished musician. Finds a family with the Marches.

JOHN BROOKS – 20s-30s – Laurie’s stiff and socially awkward tutor. A rule follower. A poor man, well educated. Described as having a limp, possibly from a war injury. Falls in love with Meg. (The actor playing Brooks will be doubled up with Aunt March’s evil parrot. At the audition, be prepared to do parrot stuff.)

LAURENCE– 60s-80s – Laurie’s grandfather, responsible for Laurie’s upbringing. A formal, wealthy man, who is uncomfortable expressing emotions. Tends towards gruffness, which may come across as frightening. Deeply regretful of incidents in his past, but unable to express it. (This part will be doubled up with Mr. Dashwood, the publisher of cheap newspapers and novels. He fancies himself a nice guy, but is a shrewd businessman, not as nice as he pretends.)

ROBERT MARCH – 40s – Father to the March girls and husband to Marmee. Wounded in the war. Has a significant limp. Struggles with his injuries, both physical and emotional.

The song that we will sing at the audition is the traditional piece “Rose Red.” Here’s a video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzDYcyQeZjQ You are welcome to sing it in a different key if this is too high.

We will sing only this verse:

Rose, rose, rose red
Will I ever see thee wed?
I will marry at thy will, sire.
At thy will.

If you have questions, feel free to contact the Director, Cynthia Sugars, at csugars@uottawa.ca

Audition Sides
Stay tuned!