Isabella Star LeBlanc owns the Wurtele Thrust Stage at the Guthrie Theater as she plays Jo March in Little Women. We caught up with her to talk about telling our own stories and making our way in the world – it is a powerful thing to do whether it is the 1860s, when Louisa May Alcott wrote the book, or today as a professional actor. The new adaptation of the coming-of-age story won’t be here long – the play is at the Guthrie through June 21 – get tickets here.
Q: Jo March is a writer determined to tell her own story – what does that theme mean in today’s cultural landscape? What does it mean to you as a member of the Native community?
A: Owning our stories is one of the most powerful things we can do. For Indigenous people it’s been part of our survival. It’s an honor to be able to live that through Jo.
Q: What do you hope audiences feel in Jo’s most intimate or painful moments (hearing of Amy’s engagement to Laurie, being gifted a book of Shakespeare by Friedrich)?
A: I have found it quite cathartic to process parts of my own life through Jo’s journey, I hope the audience does as well.
Q: How do you navigate Jo’s grief and growth over the course of the play?
A: The brilliance of playwright Lauren Gunderson and Louisa May Alcott’s writing is that audience gets to see so many of the formative moments of Jo’s life in this show. My job is just to be available for the discoveries.
Q: Jo/Alcott says at one point, “She need ask no one for a penny, ever again.” – can you describe the satisfaction you felt saying those words?
A: Jackson Gay, our Director, really wanted to highlight how both Jo and Louisa were able to support their families through writing. I love getting to play an artist whose work is not only a passion but a profitable one as well.
Q: What do you hope people carry with them after seeing this production?
A: I hope people can leave this show reflecting fondly on all the different types of love in their life.
Q: The play concludes by discussing all the many ways that Alcott’s writing supported her immediate family and her descendants. It was a very satisfying moment for the audience – how did it feel to you as an actor?
A: It’s such a great moment! It hits me differently depending on the day, but it’s always quite special to hear just how much one story can do.
Q: What’s next on the horizon for you?
A: I’ll be working on the feature film “Nice Fish” directed by Mark Rylance. Adapted from the play of the same name that premiered at the Guthrie! The screenplay is amazing and cowritten by Rylance and local artist Jim Lichtscheidl.
