Sarah Diller thinks she knows why she has been drawn to theater from a young age.

The Bluffton University junior says "I'm the classic middle child-the Jan Brady Syndrome," referring to the attention-starved middle daughter on "The Brady Bunch" of '70s sitcom lore. "That is the sole explanation for why I'm in theater."

Diller gets a look at life elsewhere in the birth order in her latest role, as youngest sister Amy March in Bluffton's production of the musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women." The play will be staged at 8 p.m. May 6-8 in Founders Hall as part of the university's annual May Day celebration.

As the middle of three present-day sisters, the Bluffton native, who is majoring in vocal performance and minoring in theater at the university, may not share many similarities with her character. Amy March is growing up with three older sisters and their mother while their father is away from home as a Civil War chaplain. But she's also only "a petulant, precocious 12-year-old" when the story begins, notes Dr. Melissa Friesen, director of the Bluffton production and associate professor and chair of theatre and communication at the university.

Diller, 21, admits to seeing a little of herself in Amy at that age-and a lot in one area in particular. "She's just overly dramatic about things," says the daughter of Bluffton residents Gordon and Jodi Diller. "Being in theater, that's my life. I'm overly dramatic."

She was on stage for the first time at age 8, playing Marta in a community production of "The Sound of Music" in Pandora. A couple years later, she was Brigitta in the same play, back in Bluffton at the university. She has been in six of the Pandora community productions and, she estimates, in close to 25 musicals and other plays overall. That includes "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Spitfire Grill" as a student at the university the last two years.

"My parents were always very supportive," recalls Diller, noting that she was raised in a "very musical household" and began piano lessons at about age 6. "If I wanted to do a show, they would take me to an audition."

This summer, she will help put on two shows a day, six days a week, as house manager at Ohio Light Opera in Wooster. She studied opera in Florence, Italy, last summer with faculty from Wichita State University.

Friesen, who has directed Diller in several plays and musicals, says "she commits fully to any part she's given, whether it's a large or small role. She does her homework so she comes to rehearsals ready to fine-tune the nuances of her character.

"Sarah recognizes that in order to reach her goal of performing professionally, she needs to cultivate her talents as a vocalist and actor, and she has done that at Bluffton," adds Friesen, saying Diller "brings a delightful energy and sense of humor to the role of Amy."

Diller's 17-year-old sister, Liz, a junior at Bluffton High School, has also gotten into acting in recent years and appeared in the high school's production of "Jitterbug Juliet" in mid-April. But older sister Erin, 23, who graduated from Goshen College in biology in May 2009, never caught the bug. "She can't stand being in front of people," Diller says.

The age difference between her two sisters has helped them get along well, she believes. Growing up, she says, they would gang up on her, even though, she adds with a smile, "they'd probably never admit it."

She was close enough in age to both of them that it was easier to "butt heads," Diller says, remembering that when she was about 13, she wanted to do everything her older sister did, "and she couldn't stand that."

In "Little Women," Amy clashes with older sister Jo, too, "but when it comes down to it, they really do care about each other, and that's parallel with my relationship with both of my sisters," Diller says. "There are times when we fight, but we love each other."

"While the characters and story of 'Little Women' are familiar and beloved, this version of the musical will be new to our audiences," says Friesen. "David Sawatzky (music director) and I are pleased with our entire cast, and are confident that the audiences will be transported into the world of the March family through the talented performances of the Bluffton cast, crew and musicians."

Tickets for the production are $12 for reserved seats and $5 for bleacher seats. To reserve tickets, contact the box office at 419-358-3239 or [email protected].