When people think of “The Secret Garden,” they’re probably thinking of the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett they may have read in elementary school. But there’s also a movie and a musical adaptation of the classic book.
The show premiered on Broadway in 1991 and performed over 700 times before closing in 1993. Theatre West opened their version of the play on Thursday, April 11 at Arganbright Auditorium and closed on Saturday, April 13.
The show takes place in the early 20th century and follows the story of Mary Lennox (played by Briar Martin ’24), a child whose parents died from cholera. After their death, she moves to stay with her uncle, Archibald Craven (Andreas Warren ’24). There, she discovers the run-down garden of her late aunt Lily (Amelia Douglas ’24) and her sickly cousin Colin (Tessa Gibson ’24). With the help of Dickon (Eli Asper ’25) and Martha (Rana Saba ’25), she revives the garden and helps her uncle overcome his grief.
Theatre West started working on the production in mid-January with choir rehearsals and set builds. Slowly, other crews started to join for costume fittings, lights/sound training and pit orchestra rehearsals. WSS goes behind the curtain of Theatre West’s production of “The Secret Garden,” bringing to light the days of hard work that went into the show.
