Walking past an empty classroom on a late Monday night, sounds of shrill laughter bounce off the walls and out the door. A glance inside, and scripts covered with notes are seen strewn across desks along with backpacks and tote bags belonging to about 20 or so Torrey students. Sounds of Just Dance or karaoke accompany the shouts of mirth from the group as they finish their traditional pre-rehearsal time to unwind and bond together over these nostalgic activities. This is Torrey Theatre, Spring 2026.
Every semester the Torrey Honors College puts on a stage production, almost completely student-run from start to finish. With the cast, crew and directors all students in Torrey, the experience is said to be memorable, joyful and a place of close-bonding and growing within the smaller-sized cast and crew. This spring, junior English major Abby Newman and junior Bible, Theology and Ministry major Jesiah Puls have come together to put together their own adaptation of “Little Women,” drawn from the 800-page novel by Louisa May Alcott, and the stage production originally penned by Marian deForest in 1912.
Kalinn Hilt, Torrey Theatre’s social media manager and actress portraying Amy in this production, spoke on the beauty of participating in a production of a book that is beloved by so many young girls and women, not just for its feminine-focused content and romance, but for the core themes of family and sisterhood that ring throughout the entirety of every girl’s story in the novel.
“It’s a show about… a very tight knit and close and loving family, having very different personalities and kind of butting heads with each other, but… they still clearly love each other and care for each other so well,” commented Hilt, “and so, having castmates and crewmates and directors who really care about you in that way… just makes the whole experience so much richer.”
From the first cold read until their final performance onstage, the entire cast has been strictly forbidden from participating in any “Little Women” media outside of their scripts, other than the novel itself. This is so the development of each character may come from a unique perspective of the cast themselves, rather than imitating Winona Ryder’s intense monologues or Florence Pugh’s quivering frown.
Hilt, although concurring with the directors’ artistic decision for authenticity, has stated that she will likely be hosting a watch party for the Greta Gerwig 2019 adaptation when performances are finished. “I probably watched the Greta Gerwin version maybe three times a year or so… [and I] haven’t been able to watch it yet this year,” she said.
Hilt is currently enjoying her active participation in Torrey Theatre for the second year. As someone who grew up with a family who had a love for theater, being a part of this kind of environment is not a new experience for Hilt, though the bond with this cast has clearly become closer than family. Their performances will be April 17 at 7 p.m. and April 18 and 19 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets may be purchased on eventbrite. Hilt has only one request for the audience: “Bring tissues!”
