“Little Women,” the classic semi-autobiographical novel written by Louisa May Alcott in the 1860s, will come to life on the Prior Lake High School stage this weekend.

The performances featuring student actors will highlight the lives of the four March sisters and their mother while growing up in New England during the Civil War.

Performances will take place at Prior Lake High School and are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 17-18, beginning at 7 p.m. A matinee is also planned for Sunday, April 19, beginning at 2 p.m.

The play is directed by Karina Nelsen, with Jen Witt serving as assistant director and Dave Tuma as technical director.

Just before the start of spring break, the cast and crew of the high school spring play had a special visitor to the set, according to the play’s production manager, Sheri Brunner, who reached out and invited its playwright to visit a rehearsal, and she happily accepted. Marisha Chamberlain, a local playwright, poet and novelist, attended an after-school rehearsal to talk with Prior Lake students.

The adaptation being performed by local students was created by Chamberlain, a Hastings, Minnesota resident, and first produced at the Children’s Theatre in Minneapolis in 2006. Since that time, it has gone on to be performed hundreds of times throughout the country.

The meeting included a lively and spirited discussion between Chamberlain and the students. She reportedly answered questions and shared many anecdotes, dropping the names of actors, producers and authors with whom she has worked during her long and storied career. As part of her Prior Lake meeting, Chamberlain even stood to recite two of her poems from memory, to the delight of students in the audience. Brunner said it proved to be a fun and memorable afternoon on the not-yet-finished set of the upcoming play.

General admission tickets are available for $10 at the door or online using this link.