'The Secret Garden' Uncovered At Tippecanoe Valley High School
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
AKRON - New life grows out of death in the musical "The Secret Garden."
Based on the children's novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the musical will be performed by Tippecanoe Valley High School students tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the school. A matinee is at 2 p.m. Saturday.Lyrics and book are by Marsha Norman, with music by Lucy Simon.
The story is set in colonial India, and then in England, in 1906. An English girl, Mary Lennox (Megan Meulink), lives in India but is forced to move to England to live with her Uncle Archibald Craven (Adam Weaver) after her parents Capt. Albert and Rose Lennox (Aaron Wagner, Chloie Engledow) die in a cholera outbreak. She never met her uncle before she was forced to move in with him. Archibald is a hunchback who still mourns over his dead wife Lily (Cortney Stambaugh).
Upon arrival in Yorkshire, Mary is met by Mrs. Medlock (Brooke Hallstrom), Archibald's housekeeper. Mary does not sleep well her first night.
The next morning, Mary meets Martha the chambermaid (Kyrston Kiefer). Martha tells Mary tales of the gardens, including a secret one.
Mary discovers the garden, as does gardener Ben Weatherstaff (Garrett Penn) and Marth's brother Dickon (Nathan Shepherd). Each has their own agenda for finding the secret garden.
It's not only a garden Mary finds. She discovers her cousin Colin Craven (Jared Lewis), who is confined to his bed as a cripple since his birth. His mother, Lily, died while giving birth to Colin.
Meanwhile, Archibald has a brother, Dr. Neville Craven (Talen Pelo), who has his own secrets and agenda that don't bode well for Mary.
Will Mary and her "new" family find happiness? It's a secret to be unraveled by going to see the show.
The musical also offers a twist. Throughout the show, songs are sung by a chorus of ghosts, or dreamers, who serve as narrators for the story's plot.
Other cast members include Lisa Emmons as Jane, and ShaNell Brazo as Mrs. Winthrop. Besides Engledow and Wagner as Capt. and Mrs. Lennox, the other dreamers include: Megan Wagley as Alice; Will Merley as Lt. Wright; Terek Pelo as Lt. Shaw; Tim Clennon as Maj. Shelley; Laura Clevenger as Mrs. Shelley; Michael Inglehearn as Maj. Holmes; Jaclyn Schipper as Claire Holmes; Erika Guzman as Ayah; and Jared Walerko as Fakir.
