Although Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women begins with a wonderful Christmas scene, the book is about a lot of other things, including the making of art and money. As a breadwinner herself, Alcott kept clear accounts of her income. In 1850, at age 15, for instance, she noted in her journal that she’d sold her first story, The Rival Painters, for $5.

For me, Little Women is also about someone who knows she doesn’t quite fit in with society … and in some ways, with her own family.

As Alcott introduces the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, each has a distinct personality; and Jo, with her passion for writing, is the least like the others. Ladylike Meg is described as “very pretty, being plump and fair” – high praise for a 16-year-old in the 1860s. In contrast, 15-year-old Jo has “big hands and feet” and a “fly-away look to her clothes.” When she whistles and sticks her hands in her pockets, she’s admonished by one sister, “Don’t Jo; it’s so boyish.”

Considering that the book, which was published in 1868-9, sold its first 2,000 copies in two weeks, readers of the day must have been hungry for stories about the interior lives of young women. And female writers, in particular, have been influenced by Alcott’s work throughout the decades. As Ursula K. Le Guin said:

“This passion of work and this happiness which blessed her in doing it are fitted without fuss into a girl’s commonplace life at home. It may not seem much; but I don’t know where else I or many other girls like me, in my generation or my mother’s or my daughter’s, were to find this model, this validation.”

While the book is filled with some 19^th Century moralizing, Jo’s struggles – and joys – still ring true today, making the story of her and her sisters rich material for new interpretations. In the 1994 film, Marmee preaches against the wearing of corsets, and in Greta Gerwig’s 2019 version, Jo and Meg talk about marriage and the fact that it’s not high on Jo’s to-do list.

For the holidays this year, theatergoers have the opportunity to see two very different productions of Little Women. Magenta Theater in Vancouver, Wash., is staging a musical version, and Portland Center Stage is offering Lauren Gunderson’s adaptation, which features Louisa May herself as a character, and original music.

Besides a host of other holiday shows, plenty of upcoming productions are without a single reference to tinsel, presents or trees, such as Northwest Children’s Theatre’s The Wizard of Oz and Salt and Sage’s productions of Much Ado About Nothing and The Winter’s Tale. In other words, there are a variety of theatrical treats to appeal to our diverse tastes in the next several weeks.

Little Women: A Musical at Magenta Theater in Vancouver, Wash., Dec. 5-21.

The Civil War-era story is brought to musical life in this adaptation by Sean Heartly, with lyrics by Allison Hubbard and music by Kim Oler. Directed by Shannon Cluphf.

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Portland Center Stage, Nov. 21-Dec. 21; previews started Nov. 16.

This celebration of sisterhood comes to life as a young writer makes space for herself and her stories in a society she’s determined to change. The production is helmed by director Joanie Schultz in co-production with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

In-laws, Out-laws, & Other People at Pentacle Theatre in Salem, Nov. 21–Dec. 13.

It’s 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and the Douglas family is preparing for its annual holiday dinner when itass evening takes an unexpected turn. After robbing a neighborhood liquor store, high-strung Tony and his dim-witted sidekick Vinny find themselves in desperate need of a hideout, turning the family’s festive gathering into chaos. Directed by Karen McCarty and written by Steve Franco.

Turkeys! The Musical, 21ten, Nov. 28-30.

Described as “Disney meets Sweeney Todd meets … a whole bunch of turkeys,” this show has been performed for six Novembers at Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater in North Hollywood to sold-out crowds. 21ten’s Portland production is Friday-Saturday 6:30 and 8:30 pm; Sunday at 2 pm.

PassinArt’s Black Nativity, Nov. 28-Dec. 7.

Written by Langston Hughes, Black Nativity tells the story of the Nativity from an African-American perspective, with a combination of scripture, poetry, dance, and song with griot-style narration. Directed by Jerry Foster, music directed by JerMichael Riley PhD, choreography by Kemba Shannon. This year, the show will be at Alberta Abbey, 126 N.E. Alberta St. in Portland. ArtsWatch reviewed last year’s roof-raising performance here.

O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy at Newmark Theatre, Nov. 28-30.

Combining British propriety with a love for the unexpected, London’s three-time Impresario Award-winning duo James & Jamesy’s show is reminiscent of classic British pantos, with wordplay, comic physicality, and interactive elements. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 & 29, with 3 p.m. matinees Nov. 29 & 30.

Christmas In Door County at Broadway Rose, Nov. 28-Dec. 21, previews Nov. 26.

This upbeat, new holiday musical revue is packed with classic Christmas tunes and modern hits. 

After a winter vacation at the Borealis Bed & Breakfast on Washington Island, Wisconsin, the ferry breaks down and guests are unable to return to the mainland. Staying with the B&B staff, everyone comes together on Christmas Eve to make the best of the situation in hopes of some yuletide cheer. Christmas In Door County is written by Dan Murphy and Rick Lewis, with vocal arrangements by Lewis. The show is directed and choreographed by Murphy, with musical direction by Wendy Vece. At the Broadway Rose New Stage, 12850 S.W. Grant Ave. in Tigard.

A Christmas Carol at Portland Playhouse, Nov. 25 – Dec. 31, opens Nov. 29

Portland Playhouse’s popular holiday show returns, with La’Tevin Alexander playing Scrooge this time around. Also featured are five actors who are new to the show, new music director DeReau K. Farrar and new orchestrations and instruments, plus new costumes by Dayna Lucas, assisted by Maia Denzler. Directed by Charles Grant, who is fresh from his out-of-this-world performance in Profile Theatre’s Witch this fall. Note: Tickets are selling fast, so you might want to reserve your seat as soon as possible.

Oliver! at Stumptown Stages, Nov. 28-Dec. 21.

Lionel Bart’s iconic musical is based on Dickens’ story about Oliver Twist, a boy who asked for more. The sensational score includes “Food Glorious Food,” “Consider Yourself,” and “I’d Do Anything,” and Stumptown’s cast features Kirk Mouser as Fagin. Directed by Patrick Nims, music direction by Barney Stein, and choreographed by Jeff George. The show will be onstage at Portland’5 Winningstad Theatre at Antoinette Hatfield Hall, 1111 S.W. Broadway.

Salt and Sage’s Much Ado About Nothing and The Winter’s Tale, Nov. 28-Dec. 21.

This inventive company’s version of the wonderfully witty Much Ado calls out Claudio as a “gullible misogynist groom,” and its fantastical production of The Winter’s Tale promises to “dabble in the repair and healing after trauma, with a magical twist.”

The Wizard of Oz at Northwest Children’s Theatre, Nov. 29-Jan. 4.

A shortened run time makes this musical journey down the yellow brick road accessible for young theatergoers and the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of Oz, originally created by L. Frank Baum. Based upon the 1939 movie, John Kane wrote this adaptation, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg and background music by Herbert Stothart. Directed by Sarah Jane Hardy. About 90 minutes including one intermission. Onstage weekends and select weekdays, with shows at 11:30 a.m. & 3 p.m. Most enjoyed by ages 5 and up.

A Tuna Christmas at Bag&Baggage, Dec 5-21, previews Dec. 4.

Two actors, Trevor Harter and Samuel Scott Campbell, take on more than 20 roles in this holiday satire set on Christmas Eve in a small fictional Texas town. It’s Christmas Eve in Tuna, Texas (pop. 201), and the scrappy town’s residents are just trying to have a nice holiday. But the local production of A Christmas Carol is threatened by unpaid electric bills, the dinner rush is mayhem over at the Tastee Kreme (Tuna’s premiere restaurant), and the Christmas Yard Display Contest might be ruined by the mysterious Christmas Phantom. Physical comedy abounds in a play with quick costume changes and mostly mimed props. Written by Ed Howard, Jaston Williams and Joe Sears, this production is directed by Mandana Khoshnevisan, who says the story shows  “how even people who carry opinions that we may not agree with, are still capable of community and of kindness.”

Christmas in Christmasville at Twilight Theater, Dec. 5-21, previews Dec. 4.

Back by popular demand, the 2023 show was a true holiday hoot and this new production should be perfect for those who revel in holiday rom-coms … and for those who revel in snickering at them. The original musical comedy features a vaguely midwestern small town that has it all: a disillusioned widow, a generically handsome barista, an overworked lawyer, her chronically single sister, a big-city cookie mogul, a country singer, C-list actors, a holiday festival, Christmas songs, and of course a beloved old man with a white beard. Written and directed by Chris Byrne.

Recta’s Chris™as CareHOLE at Fuse Theatre Ensemble, Dec. 5-20.

Promising less Christmas cheer and more holiday jeer, Rusty Tennant’s drag clown alter-ego, Recta Borealis, will present a dark adaptation of A Christmas Carol in this genre-defying, anti-facist solo performance that fuses music with video (and cartoons). Longtime Fuse Theatre Ensemble artistic director Tennant says, “Recta gives me space to explore the darkness in this world (and in me) in ways that can be campy, fun, and humorous, while still honoring the darkness. It also lets me perform some of my favorite music: industrial, goth, emo, metal, hip-hop, and other genres often excluded from more typical drag events.” Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays.

Holidazed! at Ten Fifteen Theater in Astoria, Dec. 5-20.

When Christmas is too commercial even for Santa, you know there’s a problem. Called in its press “a comedic missile of irreverence aimed at the holiday season,” the show follows Santa as he quits Christmas and sets out to discover its true meaning. Along the way, Holidazed offers some naughty fun and a variety of sketches and songs about the holiday-capitalism connection. Written and directed by local artist Sam Dinkowitz, and featuring an ensemble cast.

Miracle on 34th Street, Lakewood Theatre Company, continuing through Dec. 14.

Kris Kringle, an older man living in a retirement home, takes a job as Macy’s Santa and spreads goodwill by sending parents to other stores to find the right toys for their kids. Viewed as delusional by Macy’s vocational counselor, Kris finds himself in a court competency hearing, and one girl’s belief in Santa is at risk. Karlyn Love directs Mountain Community Theater’s adaptation of the novella by Valentine Davies, who also wrote the story for the 1947 film.

The Snow Globe  at 21ten Theatre, Dec. 11-21.

The musicians of Musica Universalis, together with Briana Ratterman and Jonathan Cullen, celebrate the season with music, stories, poetry, and freshly baked Christmas cake. The show, which is described as “part play, part concert, part baking party,” was created and is directed by Štěpán S. Šimek. Performances are Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 5 p.m.

Portland Revels’ Hghland Hearth: A Midwinter Revels, Dec. 12-21.

Portland Revels returns to the Scottish Highlands – and its former home at the Scottish Rite Center – for a celebration of light with music, story and dance. When Glasgow officials decree that Yule celebrations are forbidden, a determined Highland community must find a way to keep its cherished traditions … with the help of the children (and a few mischievous brownies, or Scottish household spirits). Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m., with weekend matinees at 1 p.m. Find schedules for the show (including an ASL-interpreted matinee and an audio-described performance) here. Scottish Rite Center, 709 S.W. 15th Ave. in Portland.

Experience Theatre Project’s Drunk Christmas Carol, Dec. 12-20.

Part scripted, part improvised, a professional (and consenting) actor (Samm Hill, returning for his third year as Scrooge) downs five shots, then performs the iconic role in Dickens’ famous Christmas story. A troupe of improvisers try to keep the classic story on the rails while the audience makes suggestions and the “Wheel of Fate” can change the setting of the tale at any time. The show also includes an ugly sweater contest, holiday themed cocktails, Christmas gift giveaways, and a 50-50 raffle.  

Liberace & Liza: Regifted and Unscripted (A Tribute), at CoHo Theatre, Dec. 18-21.

The sequined show is back onstage at its birthplace, CoHo Theatre, with holiday classics, maybe a little Gaga, and other surprises. David Saffert returns as Liberace, Jillian Snow is back as Liza Minnelli, and they’ll both sprinkle the show with a snowglobe full of banter.

ZooZoo at Imago Theatre, Dec. 19-Jan. 4.

The amazing menagerie is back – penguins, frogs, aardvark and all – in a show that’s always a winner with kids and adults alike, with abundant laughs (last year I got an aardvark in my lap) and awesome physical feats. This year the returning performers include Kaician Kitco, Laura Loy and Isaac Ellingsom, who will be joined by newcomer Aidan Brown. Original music by Katie Griesar. Directed by Imago co-founders Carol Triffle and Jerry Mouawad.

Posada Milagro 2025, a Christmas celebration, Dec. 21, 2 pm and 4 pm.

This family-friendly cultural Christmas celebration includes a performance with a pastorela, ballet folklorico dance, and lots of music. Outside of the performance, there are also a Christmas crafting table, piñatas, and tamales for sale. Performances are in the Milagro MainStage Theatre, and tickets are first-come, first-served, starting at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, Dec. 22

The popular show is back and promises more comedy, camp, new songs and “wintertime wonder.” Starring drag queens BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon. See it at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. 

Also opening

ñ (enye), performance by ILVS STRAUSS at Tomorrow Theater, Nov. 20 at 7 pm.

Risk/Reward and PAM CUT are partnering to present a night of sound, performance, and film at the Tomorrow Theater, beginning with Strauss’s ñ (enye). Guided by a green rabbit, the show explores sound, language, and human connection. This is a newly expanded piece building on the performance that debuted last summer at Northwest New Works in Seattle and Risk/Reward’s Festival of New Performance in Portland. A showing of the film Memoria will follow.

The Steep And Thorny Way To Heaven’s Penny Dreadful: A Night Carnival Of Victorian Horror at Star Theater, Nov. 29 at 8 pm.

A celebration of the dark and decadent, this costume party/variety show for Poe, Stoker, and Shelly fans alike features burlesque, dance, and live music for an evening of costumes, cocktails, and performances. Vampires, werewolves, and tragic villains mingle in a four-hour seance inspired by Gothic horror books, movies, and TV.  Come dressed as your favorite Gothic horror character or writer and enjoy sensuously indulgent cocktails from The Steep and Thorny Way to Heaven mixologists Myrrh Larsen and Megan Skye Hale, haunting wares from a featured local vendor, and get a glimpse of your fate from the cards at the tarot table. Guests incorporating an N95 or equivalent mask into their costume will receive a special thank-you gift. Doors open at 7 p.m. and people are welcome to come and go as they please. The event takes place at the Star Theater, 13 N.W. Sixth Ave. in Portland.

The Donnie Show at Triangle Productions, Dec. 4-14.

Surprises are in store as Triangle brings back its variety show, hosted by Donnie (aka Don Horn), with James Sharinghousen. Featuring a different guest each night, who could be a stand-up comedian, singer, or even a popular personality here in Portland. There’ll be just seven chances to catch the show.

Death of a Drag Queen at Echo Theatre, Dec. 5-20.

This haunting world premiere dives into themes of aging, irrelevance, betrayal, and the tragedy of believing in everyone but yourself. Called “glamorous, gritty, and unflinchingly human” in its press, the play is written and directed by Sean Brown and stars Sean Marlow. The show will also be at The Board Room Cabaret, Jan. 22-31.

LineStorm reading of The Frankenstein Project at Artists Rep, Dec. 7, 6-9 pm.

In 1816, young Mary Shelley grieves for her lost child and dreams of monsters. In the present, Mary Lattimore struggles to write a paper about Mary Shelley’s famous book, and befriends the AI robot her father has created and brought home to train. The reading of E.M. Lewis’s play is directed by Luan Schooler.

Shaking the Tree Theatre open space residencies, Dec. 4-6 and Dec. 11-13.

With an aim to nurture emerging and mid-career artists who want to explore new works, the Southeast Portland experimental theater is hosting two final resident artists this year, Monel Chang & Kayla Hanson.

In Take Me to Your Leader, a show about The Seoul of a Clown (Dec. 4-6), beauty, ritual, and absurdity collide. From the haunting rhythms of pansori (a form of Korean musical storytelling to the fluorescent glow of a K-beauty altar, Monel Chang (aka Moldy Melon) shapeshifts through characters both divine and deranged: a folk diva, a skincare-obsessed disciple, and a dictator throwing themself a birthday party.

SALOME (Dec. 11-13) is a new feature screenplay by Kayla Hanson, adapted from Oscar Wilde’s Salome and excerpts from The Bible, and presented as a staged reading. This adaptation folds in themes of revisionist history, Filipino folklore, comedy, and the all-consuming, deadly power of a teenage crush. This performance will also include a dance video, that’s reportedly not the dance of the seven veils. 

Continuing shows

Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play at Chapel Theatre, through Nov. 22.

Anne Washburn’s imaginative dark comedy takes place nearly 100 years in the future, when  snippets of sitcom plots, commercials, jingles and pop songs have become the live entertainment of a post-apocalyptic society.

The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy, Oregon City Children’s Theatre, through Nov. 22.

When Wednesday Addams falls in love with a “normal” boy from Ohio and invites his family to dinner, chaos and comedy ensue.

Madonna of the Cat at 21ten Theatre, through Nov. 23.

Portland playwright Sue Mach imagines what happens in the 16 years that Shakespeare skipped over in The Winter’s Tale. ArtsWatch reviewed the show here.

BlueJay’s Canoe at Very Little Theatre in Eugene, through Nov. 23.

This is the first staged production of illioo Native Theatre’s play that follows two contemporary Indigenous families during the pandemic and focuses on the power of stories in everyday life. The script is by Theresa May and Marta Lu Clifford (Chinook, Cree, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde). ArtsWatch covered a reading of the play last June.

The Broken Planetarium’s Don’t Drop the Thread at Siren Theater, through Nov. 23.

Laura Christina Dunn’s original musical takes place in a future where the ice caps have melted, and the world is covered in water. A group of entertainers sail around on a boat and encourage people to come aboard and see their show. Below deck, though, there’s a labyrinth where a being that’s half-human, half-bull is kept. ArtsWatch previewed the show here.

Recent Tragic Events, at Third Rail Repertory, through Nov. 23.

This splendid show is having such a successful run, Third Rail has added a 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, Nov. 22. ArtsWatch reviewed it here.

Harvey at Mask&Mirror, through Nov. 23.

A man and his 6-foot invisible rabbit spark about what’s real and what defines sanity. Mary Chase’s comedy of errors was the winner of the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for drama. The production is directed by Mark Putnam.

Porthole Players’ The SpongeBob Musical in Newport, through Nov. 30.

SpongeBob SquarePants lives in a pineapple under the sea and became the hottest star on Broadway in this musical comedy. Lori Tobias wrote about the play for ArtsWatch here.

Wink at Oregon Contemporary Theatre in Eugene, through Nov. 30.

For those who were wowed by Jen Silverman’s Witch at Portland’s Profile Theatre this fall, OCT is offering another Silverman play, Wink, in Eugene. Sofie is an unhappy housewife, Gregor is her bread-winning husband, Dr. Franz is their psychiatrist, Wink is the cat, and Gregor has just skinned the cat in this  dark comedy about the thin, thin line between savagery and civilization. Directed by Tara Wibrew.

Mt. Hood Repertory Theatre’s True West at Wyrd Hut, through Nov. 30.

Sam Shepard’s play is about a screenwriter and his bullying big brother. Directed by Sarah Andrews, the show is onstage at Wyrd Hut, 4704 S.E. 65^th Ave. in Portland.

Plan V: The Rise of Reverence at 21ten Theatre, Dec. 5 & 12, 10 p.m.

Dedicated to sparking joy, Eleanor O’Brien has rewritten her solo comedy show once more, taking out the bit about the censorship police that was in its recent iteration. “I found I no longer wanted to perform the ‘war-torn’ ending,” she wrote in a recent email. “I wanted to return to an earlier version of the show, when the play highlighted the joy of pussy worship and sharing stories, and not the dangers of a fascist government. I returned to my motivating quote ‘The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.’” (Toni Cade Bambara). 

Foxhole Projects presents Elemental, three new works at Ethos Music Center, 8 p.m. Dec. 6.

Ethos Music Center launches its upgraded performance space with Elemental, an evening of three innovative new works, including Zoltar Predicts by Jed Sutton, Mountain Woman by Ariel Bittner, and Water Makes Me Honest by Maddy Schultz.

Corrib Theatre’s Stilt, at Historic Alberta House, through Dec. 7.

This thriller reimagines the Rumpelstiltskin story as a modern Irish cautionary tale. ArtsWatch reviewed it here.

Theater news

Hand2Mouth is accepting proposals for New2You Festival through Dec. 3.

Local artists can propose short works (30-60 minutes) for Hand2Mouth’s spring New2You Festival to be performed over a nine-day festival scheduled to run March 27-April 4. The theme is Body and Technology, and is open to interpretation. Participants will be selected by a panel of company members, and the company is seeking diverse voices and performing disciplines. Projects should focus on voices and bodies rather than sets, props, lighting and costumes. A virtual information session will take place on Nov. 19 at noon. The deadline to submit a proposal is Dec. 3, 2025.

Milagro adds Autoretrato de Fridita  to its current season.

Milagro recently announced that it’s adding Autoretrato de Fridita, a family-friendly play about Frida Kahlo as a young child struggling with polio and seeking to discover her identity, to its current season. The play will run Jan. 16-25, with a preview on Jan. 15. The play reimagines Ajai Terrazas Tripathi’s play Mijita Fridita and is helmed by puppeteer and Milagro’s education coordinator Yosmel López Ortiz, who both adapted the script and is directing. The performance is in English, with some Spanish.

Ashland’s Rogue Theater Company announces its 2026 season.

Rogue Theater Company’s upcoming season promises to offer stories that invite laughter as well as big questions.

Says RTC’s producing artistic director, Jessica Sage, “Theater lets us step into another’s shoes, confront difficult truths, and feel empathy, reminding us that despite our differences, we share common hopes, fears, and dreams.”

The season begins Feb. 7 and 8 with Barry Kraft’s Shakespeare series. This year, Kraft dedicates his exploration exclusively to his favorite play, Hamlet. Participants can join in person, via Zoom, or enjoy these recordings at their leisure.

From March 11-29, RTC presents Bruce Graham’s Stella and Lou, directed by former Oregon Shakespeare Festival artistic director Henry Woronicz and featuring Linda Alper and Michael J. Hume. Stella and Lou tells the story of two ordinary people discovering the courage to reach for connection later in life.

The five-performance play-reading April 29-May 3 will be Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, Part I, Millennium Approaches. This passionate masterpiece, directed by Desdemona Chiang, features Jordan Barbour, Christian Bufford, Lini Dissanayake, Robin Goodrin Nordli, Jeffrey King, Benjamin Pelteson, Stephen Michael Spencer, and Vilma Silva. Set during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Angels weaves together love, loss, politics, and prophecy.

From July 15 to Aug. 2, Nick Payne’s Constellations will be onstage, directed by Emily Moler, and featuring Christine Albright and John Tufts. The play fuses the delicate threads of love, longing, and possibility, showing how a single choice can echo through time. It’s a deeply moving story that balances heartbreak with hope, leaving audiences reflecting on the fragile beauty of human connection.

RTC’s final production of the season, from Oct. 14 to Nov. 1, will be Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden, a play about how the past shapes the present, directed by Nancy Carlin, and featuring Elijah Alexander, Nell Geisslinger, and Jamie Newcomb.

All indoor performances are at 1 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays at Grizzly Peak Winery in Ashland. For tickets and info, go to roguetheatercompany.com or call 541-205-9190.