‘Secret Garden’ Appeals To All Ages
“The Secret Garden,” Spokane Civic Theatre, Friday, Nov. 22
While attending the Spokane Civic Theatre’s graceful and imaginative production of “The Secret Garden,” the thought occurred to me: Can kids possibly understand this?
The answer is yes, better than some adults, but not because the writers condescend to children. This Frances Hodgson Burnett children’s story is told without a trace of patronizing. Sometimes I think half of the imagery and Freudian symbolism sails over my head, but apparently it is perfectly understandable to an 8-year-old in a frilly dress.
That’s why this show has been so popular with both adults and kids. Kids may not understand all of the deeper psychological symbolism, but they understand perfectly the main symbolic themes: Little orphan girl, Mary Lennox, arrives at a cold and barren mansion, unlocks the long-abandoned garden, brings beauty and light to everyone, and wins her uncle’s love.
Frankly, the structure of the show makes it a little hard to follow this plot. A group of “dreamers,” dressed all in white, float around the stage, commenting on the action and staging flashbacks. These dreamers include both Mary’s dead parents and her uncle’s dead wife.
In this production, director Troy Nickerson, with help from set designer Peter Hardie, used the dreamers with a great deal of creativity. Melody Deatherage as the Indian Ayah, and Jon Luytens as the Fakir, appeared magically in booths behind scrims. Heidi Groshoff, as Lily, materialized upstage behind another scrim, like a heartbreakingly beautiful blond angel.
Young Alyssa Calder did a wonderful job in the lead role. She seemed comfortable on stage, and totally in character as the stubborn, headstrong Mary Lennox. She looked the part perfectly, like Lewis Carroll’s Alice in a Victorian drawing.
The other two standout performances came from Michael K. Hynes as Archibald Craven, and Cheyenne Jackson as his brother, Dr. Neville Craven. Their heartbreaking duet in “Lily Eyes” near the end of the first act was both the musical and emotional high point of the show.
Other good performances came from Susan Smith, who was suitably dour as Mrs. Medlock; Thara Leigh Cooper, who was full of life and wit as the maid Martha; and Abram Manion who was a delight as the “crippled” little boy Colin Craven.
The Lucy Simon score sounded sprightly and full, with the eight-piece orchestra directed by Carol Miyamoto. This is also an outstanding costume show, especially with the ethereal-looking dreamers. Dee Finan and Margaret Ayers get the credit there.
, DataTimes MEMO: “Secret Garden” continues through Dec. 15, call 325-2507.