TICKETS $30 – THURSDAYS $20

Roth/Resler Theater | 1125 College Ave. Columbus, OH 43209

SAT 12/3 @ 7:00p SUN 12/11 @ 2:00p
SUN 12/4 @ 2:00p THU 12/15 @ 7:00p
THU 12/8 @ 7:00p SAT 12/17 @ 7:00p
SAT 12/10 @ 7:00p SUN 12/18 @ 2:00p

Unfortunately the performances on 12/3, 12/4, 12/8, 12/10, & 12/11 have been cancelled. Please contact Michael Solomon at msolomon@columbusjcc.org with questions

Directed by Ross Shirley | Musical by Marsha Norman

Orphaned while living in India, 10-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire, England to live with her embittered, reclusive Uncle Archibald, whom she has never met. There, the ill-tempered and lonely Mary meets Martha, a chambermaid, who tells her of a secret garden which belonged to her aunt Lily before she died. Mary’s search for the garden introduces her to a slew of other characters and a spirited robin that seems to be trying to talk to her.

Book & Lyrics by Marsha Norman. Music by Lucy Simon. Based on the Novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director – Ross Shirley
Music Director – Allan Finkelstein
Production Manager – Michael Solomon
Stage Manager – Liz Wood
Choreographers – Tonya Kraner & Madhavi Sudhir
Set Design & Build – Moo Cow LLC
Lighting Design – Kurt Mueller
Costume Design – Wagner Costumes
Props – Megan Mateer
ASM – Willow Cook
Tech Crew – Sophia Friend, Ryan Bernstein, Kent Halloran, Shannon Daly, & Barb Shoulders

ORCHESTRA

Piano/Keyboard – Jeff Hamm
Percussion – Mendell Hibbard
Woodwinds – Joy Norris, Stacy Dilts, Stephanie Stephens, Michael Rueda
Trumpet – Julie Vish/Shawn Flowers
Trombone – Craig Hamm
Cello – Robin Coolidge
Bass – Dan Laney/Eric Stratton
Violin – Rosemary Cipriani/Mathew Kinnear

DIRECTOR NOTE FROM ROSS SHIRLEY

Life is full of loss. In The Secret Garden, we meet our young protagonist, Mary, as she comes to terms with the unfathomable death of both of her parents due to a cholera epidemic in India. Mary is sent to a cold, haunted home in a strange country to live with an uncle who has not come to terms with his own loss of his beloved wife, Lily and who therefore is incapable of loving her. Mary must learn to adapt and survive in a new world and in a life that doesn’t seem to want her. She discovers through the helpers she meets there that even seemingly dead things can come back to life with a little love and care.

The Secret Garden is at its heart a story about rebirth and redemption. It shows us how the human heart is capable of healing after great loss even in the most inhospitable of environments. It is an old story and we can’t ignore the echoes of British Colonialism found here; the subjugation of humans for the comfort of others and the unacceptable labels our ancestors used to describe those with differences they found threatening and uncomfortable. However, this story still offers such important revelations for today.

As we have explored and discussed the important ideas and themes found in The Secret Garden, I have continually revisited the losses we as a society have endured over the last four years. The Covid Pandemic has had perhaps the most profound impact on our young people. They sacrificed a great deal- losing their typical school day, the safety and structure provided by the people who supported them there as well as their social networks and the ability to engage in activities that sustained them.

As an educator, I have seen the profound trauma so many of the students have experienced due to this loss. Educators are keenly aware of this and are deeply engaged in the work of helping bring that garden back to life. It is our hope that everyone will come away from our show with a little more light in their hearts, a little more room to nurture our children and maybe remember that “Winter Is On The Wing” and spring is always just around the corner. As Dickon says “and you’ll be here to see it.” Thank you for supporting Gallery Theatre’s production of The Secret Garden.