SecretGarden

The Dorset Players’ final production of their 81st season was a musical version of "The Secret Garden." Proudly sponsored by Casella Waste Management, Mettowee Mill Nursery and Vermont Country Properties, performances were held at 7:30 p.m. on May 14-16 and May 21-23, and at 2:00 p.m. on May 17 & 24.

"The Secret Garden," which premiered on Broadway in 1991 and ran for 709 performances, follows the fortunes of a young orphaned English girl, Mary Lennox, who comes to live with her morose uncle, Archibald Craven, and sickly cousin, Colin Craven. Together with Ben, an old gardener, and Dickon, the kindly brother of Martha, a household chambermaid, a hidden and neglected garden is revitalized, which, in turn, does the same for all concerned. This musical, with book by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon, departs from the classic children’s story by Frances Hodgson Burnett, as it also explores the difficulty Archibald faces as he attempts to cope without his deceased wife, Lily, whose ghost haunts him still.

In addition to young actors Abigale Lamberton as Mary, Sam Kratzer as Colin, and Anna Foster as Martha, the large cast included a host of talented people who portrayed the ghosts from young Mary Lennox’s past, whose musical interludes moved the story along during the many seamless set changes. Errol Hill and Dana Haley , who portrayed Mary Lennox’s doomed parents, Albert and Rose, were joined by Jesse Hansen and Ron Ray as Lieutenant Shaw and Major Holmes, Julie Citron as Alice, Jessica Palmer as Claire, as well as Becky Nawrath as the Fakir and Susan Altoft as the Ayah.

Also featured were several other faces familiar to local audiences, including Kevin O’Toole as Archibald, Danielle Wilson as the ghost of Archibald’s late wife, Lily, Todd Houston as Archibald’s sibling, Dr. Neville Craven, Bob Davidson as Ben and Marge Wilbur as the stern head of household, Mrs. Medlock. Lilly Himmelman, Evan and Jeremy Crumb, Martha Degnon and Justine Cook rounded out the ensemble.