TheatreWorks is presenting a brand-new musical retelling of A Little Princess that builds upon this subtle sense of feminism. In this version of the story, Sara's unsinkable spirit enlightens several of her contemporaries, as well as an adult, Miss Amelia, the timid younger sister of Miss Minchin, the spiteful headmistress of Sara's school.

Cupertino-based actress Molly Bell plays Miss Amelia, who undergoes a major transformation spurred by Sara's freethinking influence. "In the first act, she's kind of the comic relief, sidekick character to the stock-evil character Miss Minchin, kind of a bumbly girl with a heart, who hasn't really thought much for herself," says Bell. "She definitely makes a transition in the second act and starts to figure out from Sara that she can think for herself."

Bell, 28, was born in Texas but around the age of 7 moved to California, where she grew up in Los Altos. Her interest in theater was sparked at an early age. "I got involved with the local youth theater and took it through to high school," says Bell. "In high school, I knew I wanted to make it at least a career in college, so I went to a performing-arts college in Santa Maria, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and once I did that, I knew I was set for my career." She went on to earn a B.A. in fine arts from Marymount Manhattan College in New York. Interestingly, following her graduation from college, for a time Bell served as the artistic director for Los Altos Youth Theatre, the company that had initially sparked her interest in theater. In addition to performing, Bell is a dance teacher and an acting and voice coach. She also occasionally works as a choreographer for local theaters.

Her experience as a dancer reveals itself in how she approaches getting into a role, where she says she relies on a sense of physicality to help build the character. "Physically, because I play a lot of comedic roles, one of the first things I do is figure out what register my voice lies in, and then how I walk, where I carry my energy—it's very physical for me," says Bell, who notes that she doesn't have a lot of preconceived ideas about the character until rehearsals begin. "For me, it has so much to do with the actor or actress that is playing opposite me. Kimberly King, who is playing Miss Minchin, and I have great chemistry together, and had I preplanned something, it would not have worked in my favor."

In the book, Miss Amelia is frumpy and not too bright, and she and her sister likely exist in the not-uncommon Victorian scenario of spinsters in business for themselves by circumstance rather than by choice. But their situation is very different in the play. "The director, Susan Shulman, mentioned that she really wanted Miss Minchin and Miss Amelia to be well-off women—women that were good-looking and had everything in place but decided, for whatever reason, against marrying someone," says Bell. "She wanted everyone to know that it wasn't because society did it to them, it was because of their own actions, especially Miss Minchin. So she specifically wanted Miss Amelia to be young and kind of vivacious and not a dowdy stock character."

Bell says that, especially with high hopes for A Little Princess going to Broadway, working on a world-première project is not without stress, but that the show, already polished in a staged reading this April, hasn't undergone any major changes in rehearsal.

Although this version of A Little Princess has certainly altered some aspects of the story, it still celebrates many of the book's original themes, from the power of imagination to the importance of being true to oneself.

"They have made changes, but it's just a story that's good for everyone," says Bell. "Even though it was kind of a simple book, and obviously written for kids, the storyline can appeal to anyone, which is why it holds up so well in a musical-theater setting."

TheatreWorks presents "A Little Princess" Aug. 28­Sept. 19) at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. Tickets are $20­$50. For more information, call 650.903.6000.