The Washington times., 1917-01-18
FOR ADMIRERS OF
LITTLE WOMEN"
Jessie BonsteIIe, DeVotee of
Louisa AIeott, Narrates Diff
CuIties Of Dramatization.
REVERSES WERE FREQUENT
intimate Story Of Events cuI-
@inating in Staging of Chill
dren's Favofite Book.

This story was written. not for the
public at large, as a newspaper article
should be, but for a certain particular
sect. Therefore, it may not be very
good newspaper article, but really It
IS terriheslIy interesting story of
how Little Women" which is being
played at the Poll Theater this week,
was produced by>Jessie Bonstene.
Those who wish to read may. but
as stated at the beginning. this in
formation is primarily intended and
dedicated to the men, women, little
girls, and little boys who know the
March family-Meg, 10, Beth, and
Amy, and their parents and friends.
Therefore, If the reader comes across
anything which seems unexplained nr
ambiguous, he can put, the blame on
himself for not having read Louisa
Alcott's famous stories about the
Many AIeott Lovers.
Just to make outsiders feel all the
more uncomfortable, let it be known
that the readers Of Little Women" :"
Little Mem" and "Jo's Boys" ere an
army, and that the personal love and
affection for the characters developed
in these books is one of the most re-
markable and touching facts in the
history Of American literature. Oh,
yes. The Alcott books are literature.
Down at the Public Library Miss
Herbert, in charge of the children's
department, said that Little Women
was still The standard book for girls,
and that nothing had ever been found
that could replace it.
Eight Yerr.' Work
with all Of this love and entnu-
sfasm to aid, it is not surprising that
the Alcott books have lived for over
half q century, and that the very,
story OF the dramatizatIon of 'T>ittle
Women is rare tribute Of lifelong
ambition, and eight years of sacrifice,
worry, hope, and effort.
This brings us right down to Miss
Bonstelles whose real name is Mrs.
Stewart Besides being an actress,
at the time our story opens, a little
over ten years ago, Miss Bonstelle was
not different from the average woman
who. was raised and brought up on
the stories of the fortunes OF the
March family.
Wanted To play Part.
Since then, of course, she has be-
come a very famous person, producing
plays, directing nine or so Little
Women" companies with one hand
and the Northampton Municipal Thea
ter with the other, and running stock
companies in the summer. But when
she first started out to do something
~.
Miss Bonstelle'S chiefest aim in life
was to play that part herself.
No one seemed willing to attempt
the making OF play, 80 finally the
young lady decided that IL she ever
wanted to play the role Of 40" in
Little Women" she would have
~ to set about producing the play her
self
Remember this ambition now, for it
Is to figure later in the story, and.
perhaps remind you OF the~tfme when
10 March found that it was Amy and
not she who was to go to Europe.
Miss Bonstelle told this story to the
writer over a table which boasted de-
licious tea and cinnamon toast. But
the toast and tea remained barely
tasted and were carried out in almost
the same condition in which they
were brought in, like the mutton in
Through the Looking Glass"
They had absolutely NO chance in
the first place to compete with the
conversation of the small fair-haired
woman, with wide-set, clear blue eyes,
sweet but firm mouth, and vivacious
manner, who told the story of the
dramatization Of Little Women"
AItruIstIc Incentive.
1t was the desire TO play the part of
40" which drove Miss Bonstelle to
put the book on the stage. She didn't
hope to make. any money out of it, |
goodness knows, and she didn't expect
4 soft snap" in working the thing up. |
There is no necessity. however, for |
explaining her motives. Real Alcott |
devotees who know the Marches will |
understand how desperately Miss Bon.
steIle loved Jo, and wanted to make |
her more famous.
Sought AIcott Heirs.
The first thing that Miss BonsteIle
did was to write to the publishers, Lit. |
lie, Brown & Co., and ask them if |
there were any AIcott heirs in exist. |
ence, from whom to purchase the |
rights of dramatization. Remember
now, she didn't have a dramatist, al
producer, a manager, or a sign of a |
company, and didn't have for eight
years after.
Doesn't that make you want to be- |
come acquainted with this 10 March, |
outsiders? |
The publishers wrote back that there
were two Alcott heirs in existence, |
Messrs. John and Fred Pratt, who stu |
lived in the old Alcott house in MaSsa- |
chusetts. Miss Bonstelle then made her |
first trip to the Pratt brothers, who |
are no other than Johnny and Freddy, |
the two little men" TO whom the book |
of that name was dedicated, and the
original Daisy and Demi Brooke Of all |
.nree books. |
Fred was Demi and John was Daisy. |
They were really Miss Alcott's (Jo's) |
rcphews. children Of Meg. and were
gally adopted by Marmee CMrs. AL |
rctt) in order that the name might be
.'erpetuated.
Too Sacred for Stage.
when Miss Bonsteile went to see
them they were very grown up. of
course. and Fred. who was DemI. alb
oIutely refused TO have the book dra-
f!atized. He insisted that 1t was too
sacred thing to be put on the stage. |
Maru1ee WAS oUn paofbar |