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March 3, 2023

“I have loved Little Women since I was a child. To me, this story was always a beautiful exploration of sisterly relationships and the female experience. Whether it be 1870s or 2023, the woman's struggle to find and hold on to her own unique voice is always present. Adamo's music gives a powerful extra layer to the sister's inner struggles. His music specifically explores Jo's demons and her resistance to change and to growing up. As I dove deeper into her story, I was also interested in exploring Jo's resistance to women's societal expectations. From having children, to markers of success, to the idea that she is supposed to be the perfect wife, Jo doesn't look at the world in this way. She wants to be free of the confinements built around her. To me, this is her reluctance to change because she doesn't know how to live her truth in a society that doesn't accept different ways of looking at the world. Jo hoped Laurie saw the world in the same way and is devastated when she realizes he doesn't. Jo is a free-spirited artist who has ambitions beyond those of her sisters. She wants to be a writer and to have a career. But at the same time those ambitions threaten to detach her from her family. She struggles to find where she fits in with her sisters as they all grow up and leave her.

Society has come a long way since the 1870s, but these expectations and the pull between family and ambition still weigh heavily on all of us, regardless of gender. This is why Jo is still a literary hero. Because we all have a little Jo in us and continue to challenge the status quo.”

 - Dana Fradkin, Stage Director

At Opera ³Ô¹ÏÍø, students participate actively in the behind-the-scenes work normally done by technical crews in professional companies. As such, our students gain important hands-on experience in stage production, marketing and publicity. The teams for 2022-23 are as follows:

Props: MacKenzie Sechi (head), Nuha Yousuf, Wil Ainsbury

Costumes: Hannah Piercey, Annika Joy (co-heads), Sophia Malowany

Makeup and Hair: Grace Ronan (head), Gabriella Bell-Divincenzo, Devon Pendergast, Margaret Kamerman

Technical and Set: Katrina Elms (head), Nuha Yousuf, Morgan Ballantyne, Roland Kessler, Darielle Chomyn

Marketing and Publicity: Keiko Larocque (head), Delaney Dam, Mackenzie Spoltore