On first blush, the pairing of the musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women,” created by Allan Knee, Mindi Dickstein and Jason Howland, with Alexis Scheer’s harrowing comedy “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord” would seem completely incongruous.

But not to Desireé Clarke Miller, artistic director of Moxie Theatre, which is presenting “Little Women The Broadway Musical” and “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord” in rotating repertory, an unprecedented undertaking for Moxie.

“I love the juxtaposition of these two shows,” said Clarke Miller, who will direct “Little Women,” while Leigh Scarritt directs “Our Dear Dead Drug Lord.” “’Little Women’ is really a depiction of what women have had to be in the past, or felt like they had to be — these old portrayals of what good girls should be.

Our Dear Dead Drug Lord’ is quite frankly the polar opposite of that, she said. We have coined this in-house as ‘Our Dear Dead Little Women’ as though we’re saying goodbye to these old stereotypes of what girlhood should look like.”

The divergent tales of the March sisters’ coming of age in the 19th century and of four contemporary teen girls comprising a Dead Leaders Club will alternate performances on the Moxie stage in Rolando. The two shows will also share the same cast: Mikaela Macias, Nio Russell, Becca Myers and Lena Ceja.

A scene from Moxie Theatres Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, one of two productions the company is presenting in repertory this fall. The other is Little Women: The Broadway Musical. (Desiree Clarke Miller)

“Bring the family to one. Don’t bring the family to the other. The content for ‘Our Dear Dead Drug Lord’ is pretty terrifying,” Clarke Miller said of the spooky comedy about a group of girls attempting to summon the spirit of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Even so, she sees a connective thread between the two.

“Jo (Marsh in Little Women) has a parallel kind of story to Pipe (the group leader in ‘Drug Lord’),” she said. “They both lose their little sister. They both deal with that grief in an interesting way. And they both are exploring their sexuality and what it means to be feminine and to be a woman who has opinions different from those around her.”

For the actors, performing roles in two rotating shows can be a daunting task and something they may never do again in their careers. It’s a first for Mikaela Macias, 22.

“It’s been more exciting than it has been complicated,” she said of the double duty, “because of how contrasting the shows are. That makes it easier to jump into each process. I’m able to be malleable.”

Macias is relying on the chemistry with her three co-stars in each show.

“It’s been a blessing,” she said. “Every time that we’ve come to a bump in the road or after an emotionally taxing scene it’s been nice to know that I can trust they will give me the space to share what I have to say and feel, and they can trust me to give them that space as well.”

Staging the two shows simultaneously has admittedly “been a doozy,” said Clarke Miller. “The musical is the most expensive project that Moxie has done in its 20 years. Add on top of that another play that still needs full props, full set dressing, full costumes. From that perspective it’s a really expensive project.”

So why not produce the shows separately, even in different Moxie seasons?

“I don’t know that that would have been easier,” said Clarke Miller. “I think they work better together. They really amplify each other.

“For me when applying for this job at Moxie I knew it would be the right place for me because I’m always looking for the most challenging work, whether it’s programming or directing shows, she said. The harder it looks on the page the more interested I am. We could use more people challenging the status quo, asking audiences how long they are willing to go with us on these journeys.”

Little Women: The Broadway Musical & Our Dear Dead Drug Lord

When: Two plays will rotate in repertory Sunday through Dec. 8. 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. (Check website for play schedule)

Where: Moxie Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Ste. N, Rolando

Tickets: $30-$63 (“Little Women”), $20-$50 (“Drug Lord”)

Phone: 858-598-7620

Online: moxietheatre.com