EASLEY — The adventure continues for young and old alike at Easley’s Foothills Playhouse with the March 11 opening of The Secret Garden, a story of imagination and change that brings a lesson to the hearts and minds of audience members.

The main character, Mary Lennox, a sickly, foul tempered and unsightly girl who lives with her dashing father and equally dismissive mother in India, has her life thrown into turmoil.

After a childhood of attendants and sitters instead of her parents, a cholera outbreak leaves her an orphan who finds herself suddenly shipped off to an uncle she does not know in England and an unexpected turn of events which not only will change her life but the lives of others as well.

Archibald Craven, Mary’s maternal uncle and owner of Misselthwaite Manor, a sprawling 100-room estate, all of which Archibald sealed following the death of his wife some 10 years earlier, is still grief stricken and mourning. Through her maidservant, Mary discovers more was sealed off from the world than the manor, which is a garden Archibald’s deceased wife loved with so much ardent fervor.

Mary’s curiosity is peaked, especially after hearing unexplained cries from a distant room within the large manor house. Despite being forbidden to seek out the source of the cries or the garden itself, Mary is determined to find the source of one and the existence of the other.

Her perseverance and determination lead Mary to discoveries of herself and the world around her she would never have anticipated in her previous life, including a cousin who, even though never knowing it, needed Mary’s help in coming back to the world from a place of isolation.

Directed by Lynne Gibson, The Secret Garden is a tale to inspire and has been doing so through the original novel, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett in 1911 and adapted from a series of stories by the author published in The American Magazine beginning in 1910, for over a century.

Although the story may go back to the early 20th century, the themes, entertaining stage production, and heartfelt characters are timeless.

Foothills Playhouse’s showings begin March 11 and run through March 20, with three shows each weekend including a Saturday matinee. Friday and Saturday showtimes are 8 p.m. and Saturday matinees run the curtain up at 3 p.m.

Tickets are available through the box office at www.fhplayhouse.com or by phone at 864-855-1817.

Easley’s Foothills Playhouse presents another children’s classic no adult should miss with its production of The Secret Garden beginning March 11 and running through March 20. The Secret Garden is an inspiring story for patrons of all ages and is presented by director Lynne Gibson and a cast of talents from the area.
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_secretgarden-e1430449352118.jpgEasley’s Foothills Playhouse presents another children’s classic no adult should miss with its production of The Secret Garden beginning March 11 and running through March 20. The Secret Garden is an inspiring story for patrons of all ages and is presented by director Lynne Gibson and a cast of talents from the area. Courtesy image

By D. C. Moody

dmoody@civitasmedia.com

Reach D. C. moody at 864-855-0355.