Two weeks ago I expressed my hope that there would be room in Olympia for two productions of Little Women. Turns out I didn't need to worry, as Olympia Family Theater's version sold out on opening weekend. Unlike Capital Playhouse's ongoing production, OFT's is a "straight" (non-musical) version of the show by playwright Marisha Chamberlain. It focuses on episodes of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel that take place before Amy, the youngest March sister, reaches her tween growth spurt.

It's a smart idea that allows actual teenagers and one very talented child actor to shine. But I wasn't crazy about the way Chamberlain's script handles the passage of time; scenes don't always culminate in a suitably punchy closing line before lighting designer Jon Tallman transitions us into the next scene. After one such segue in Act II, I heard a young audience member ask her friend, "How many years have gone by?" I wasn't clear on that myself. All in all, though, chances are good your favorite scene from the book made the two-hour cut. Tallman's production design reconfigures elements from OFT's Year With Frog and Toad set beautifully. Costumers Mary Rathke and Becky Scott did exceptional work on this show, and Jo's pre-haircut wig (by Michael Costain) is perhaps the best I've seen in years.

Speaking of Jo, our author surrogate, she's played with poise and resolve by Mandy Ryle. I was reminded while watching her that March is a verb. (OFT board member Ted Ryle plays her dad in the play's final scene. It's believable.) Director Samantha Chandler elicits credible performances from all four March sisters, but her blocking favors one side of the two-sided thrust seating arrangement. As in Capital Playhouse's production, Beth (Maren Sekerak) emerges as a vivid character in Act II, and it's worth noting that both Sekerak and Aurora Strauss-Reeves (as Amy) play their piano bits live on stage. Silva Goetz is likewise good as Meg, though her character seems underwritten for this adaptation.

Jo, of course, is the primary protagonist of Alcott's novel, but Strauss-Reeves is so vibrantly talented that her Amy pretty much nabs the whole affair. I was reminded of a young Natalie Portman, all big eyes and bravado, and the kids in the audience hung on her every word and expression. I don't always base my reviews on what audiences around me think, but for this show I often found myself observing the reactions of dozens of little women in the audience. They were enraptured. At one point, there were accusations of flirting between Jo and her secret admirer (Tyler Lockwood). The two girls nearest me watched the show in tandem, hugging each other and whispering fervently after every other line. "What's flirting?" one of them asked the other, eliciting chuckles from every adult in earshot. It was a moment of innocence frozen in time, the kind Olympia Family Theater generates with lovely regularity.

Little Women, Olympia Family Theater, through Dec. 26, Thursday–Friday 7 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 2 p.m., $11–$18, Minnaert Center, 2011 Mottman Rd. SW, South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia, 360.753.8586