The Secret Garden

Imagine being an only child, and a fairly spoiled one at that, living a life of luxury in far off India as one of the English occupation families. Now imagine that, seemingly overnight, your entire family is wiped out by cholera, a disease whose symptoms are both swift and horrible. You now have not a friend or advocate in the world except some little-known uncle back in Yorkshire, England who has enough troubles and sorrows of his own to care about you or for you. You are literally dropped off at your uncle's house after being told all the way there that you will not be welcome. And indeed, you aren't.

Now imagine as a playwright trying to portray the sense of loss and abandonment, of betrayal. The attempt at closing a gap in a family without knowing anything about that family. The writer has attempted to show background and flashbacks by using ghosts with white hankies signifying life and red hankies signifying death. It comes off surprisingly well. All the singing is in tune and in time except perhaps young Collin who can be excused if he's been cooped up in his bedroom for 10 years.

The scenery is sparse as DMTC almost always is. But by careful manipulation, the sight of the secret garden bursting into bloom is glorious. Carolyn thought the musical was "dark" but I think that's just the way you have to tell a story as complex and deep as this one. I highly recommend this for all, even kids 8 and over. Our two visiting grandsons ages 8 and 11 seemed to enjoy it.