Melissa Murphy
Among the cast members of the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts’ upcoming production of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” is Melissa Murphy of Old Forge.
Melissa, a sophomore at Town of Webb Schools, will play Meg Marsh, eldest sister of the “little women.”
At 15, Melissa has previously performed in many ALCA productions—and is excited for the opportunity to again work with the Blue Mountain-based team of professionals.
“We’ve done quite a few productions together—Annie, Cinderella, and Into the Woods which was performed for summer theater with professional actors from New York City together with local actors. I learned a lot from them—no matter what happened on stage they were always in character,” she said.
Melissa’s involvement with “Little Women” has required hours of commitment.
She and her mother, Lisa, travel 45 to 60 minutes each way to Blue Mountain Lake for the three-hour weekday rehearsals.
Weekend rehearsals range from six to eight hours each day.
But the long hours don’t seem to bother her. She said she’s just grateful for ALCA’s presence and the acting opportunities their performances afford.
Melissa said she is enjoying “being Meg” due to her own similarities and differences to the character.
“Meg is totally different from who I am in some ways. She is the oldest and she’s mature. Being the baby of my family, it’s a switch for me. It’s nice to finally be older.
But we’re alike in that neither of us can get mad at anyone,” she said.
Little Women will be performed at various Adirondack venues in the next week.
It will be presented at the Long Lake Town Hall on Friday, November 30 at 7 p.m. and on Saturday, December 1 at Newcomb Central School at 7 p.m.
The play comes to View in Old Forge on Saturday, December 8 at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for non-members, $10 for members and are available by calling View at (315) 369-6411.
Anyone interested in meeting the cast is invited to join them for a Holiday Soup Social, Cast Party and Gallery Reception at Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, Route 28, Blue Mountain Lake on Friday, December 14 at 5 p.m.
All are asked to bring a pot of their favorite homemade soup and join in the celebration.
