For two weekends, starting on Friday, June 7, Home Made Theater will present the musical, The Secret Garden, music by Lucy Simon, book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman. The Secret Garden is based on the classic 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald. The estate’s many wonders include a magical garden which beckons Mary with haunting melodies and spirits from her past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden’s compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.
The Director and Scenic Designer of The Secret Garden is Home Made Theater’s Executive and Artistic Director, Eric Rudy. The Musical Director of The Secret Garden is Richard Cherry, who has served as the Musical Director of numerous Home Made Theater musical productions. The Choreographer is Heather D’Arcy, who previously choreographed Nine during the 2022-2023 season. The artistic team also includes Lighting Designer Matt Kopens, Sound Designer Tom Moeller, Costume Designer Sharon Greene, Properties Designer Maura Pickett and Production Stage Manager Christine MacLellan.
The cast of The Secret Garden will feature several performers familiar to the Home Made Theater audience, including Travis Brunell, Maleri Davis, Marilyn Detmer, Doug Gladstone, Jack Holick, Claire O’Donnell, Lesley O’Donnell, Eric Rudy, Sonya Sidhu-Izzo, and Olivia Wilkerson. There will also be a number of new faces in the cast. These include Nate Beynon, Georgianna Bull, Heather-Liz Copps, Abraham Huestis, Katie Huestis, Michael Lotano, Patrick Nyhan, Sarah Paulsen, Carolyn Shields, Noah Unser, and Sophie Waling. The child roles have all been double-cast, and those actors will alternate performances.
The performance on Saturday, June 15 at 2:00pm will be a special “sensory friendly” performance. This performance will be designed to make theater accessible to patrons who may be prone to sensory overstimulation, including those on the autism spectrum.
Performances the first weekend are Friday, June 7 at 7:00pm, Saturday June 8 at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, and Sunday June 9 at 2:00pm. The Secret Garden is alternative entertainment for those who want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the Belmont Stakes Festival, as it takes place away from the race track and downtown.
The second weekend will begin with a performance on Thursday, June 13 at 7:00pm. The rest of the weekend will include performances on Friday, June 14 at 7:00, Saturday, June 15 at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, and Sunday, June 16 at 2:00.
All performances are at the Pitney Meadows Community Farm at 223 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Tickets are $35 and are available on Home Made Theater’s website, www.homemadetheater.org, or by calling 518-587-4427 during the box office hours of Monday through Friday, noon to 4:00pm.
All photos by Dawn Oesch
MRDRose.jpg: (from left to right) Claire O’Donnell as Mary, Abraham Huestis as Colin, Carolyn Shields as Martha, and Patrick Nyhan as Dickon
LALily.jpeg: (from left to right) Jack Holick as Colin, Michael Lotano as Archibald, Maleri Davis as Mary, and Heather-Liz Copps as Lily