Dinner program, ‘Love from Louisa’ set in Kent

KENT — The Kent Memorial Library will present a dinner entertainment, Love from Louisa; Louisa May Alcott and the making of Little Women, on Saturday, May 19 at the Fife ’n Drum Restaurant on Main Street in Kent. A themed dinner at 7 p.m. will be followed by a staged reading in costume that will feature appearances by Louisa, her father Bronson Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau — all in their own words.

The dramatic presentation, which will trace the influences that led the author to the creation of the classic story of Little Women, was written and compiled by Georgianne Ensign Kent, and is directed by Jane Farnol. Cast members, representing the famous residents of Concord, Massachusetts during the Civil War, are Noel Desiato, Rufus DeRham, Steve Manzino, David Almquist, Katherine Almquist, Stacy-Lee Frome and Erin Shaughnessy. It will be narrated by John Taylor.

Love from Louisa will provide an informative companion piece to the three-part PBS/BBC Masterpiece Theatre production of Little Women, which, coincidentally, premieres the previous week, the latest in a series of interpretations of the book which have included three movies, two silent films, a musical and an opera.

Seats for the Alcott evening are $60 per person which includes salad, chicken entrée, dessert, gratuity and cash bar to benefit the Kent Memorial Library. Reservations may be made online or in the Library. Space is limited, so early booking is advised. To reserve seats now, go to kentmemoriallibrary.org or go to the front desk at the Library. For more information call 860.927.3761.