Director Didi Olney Creates Subtle Power Plays In NDCT’s Newest Show ‘Little Women’

WALDORF, Md. – Director Didi Olney sat down with Lindsey Pommerenck and James LePore of The ArtsFam Podcast to discuss New Direction Community Theater’s (NDCT) upcoming production of the literary classic Little Women that will be playing at The Long Beach Community Center in St. Leonard from February 23rd until March 2nd. 

Olney shared, “We’ve had kids who have been working with our theater for ten years plus. Now they’re teenagers and interested in doing something a bit more mature, a little more thought-provoking. They had approached us with the idea of doing an older teen-focused show. We’re like, okay, give us some ideas.” Olney and her fellow board members at NDCT took the young thespians’ ideas into consideration when selecting this season’s shows, resulting in the selection of Little Women.

Little Women tells the story of the March family during the Civil War when their father had to go off to war. Left home to fend for themselves, the mother and her four daughters carve out a quaint life that involves familial drama, love, jealousy, and everything in between. The mother Marmee is assisted by Aunt March. Olney shared that one of her favorite directorial choices during the rehearsal process centered around the two aforementioned characters, “Every time Aunt March comes into the house if Marmee is not sitting in her chair, Aunt March sits in it. Every single time. And you’ll see them constantly going back and forth. It’s this subtle power play.”

When asked about her favorite parts of the rehearsal and audition processes, Olney shared that the collaborative process that exists between the actors and director has been a welcomed one. She begins blocking a scene by explaining to an actor what she would like them to do first. Then, she provides them with the freedom to reinterpret the dialogue and play around with their creative choices. Typically, the real magic happens whenever there is a beautiful amalgamation of the two. Olney utilizes this technique during auditions as well. Co-Host Lindsey Pommerenck remarked how much she loves that the collaborative process is deeply embedded within the essence of NDCT in part due to its original founders Sherry Mervine and the late Keith Mervine’s vision. 

Co-Host James LePore noted how all NDCT productions do not begin in the final venue where they are performed due to the fact that the company does not currently have a physical location. Olney shared their rather unorthodox schedule that takes place beginning on the Sunday prior to their opening night. Their set is typically built and decorated by Sunday night and their final dress rehearsal takes place on Wednesday before a Friday night opening. Olney shares, “Each night the cast and crew get progressively more used to things that they haven’t had to deal with before.”

Olney closed out the interview by saying that she hopes the audience takes away “the enduring power of a family that truly loves each other,” from this production. Additional topics were discussed during the video interview. To watch the interview in its entirety, enjoy the latest episode of The ArtsFam Podcast embedded at the top of this article. To purchase tickets to Little Women, click here.