{"id":3629,"date":"2018-05-09T21:40:56","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T21:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theatreworldbackdrops.com\/blog\/?p=3629"},"modified":"2020-08-27T15:16:40","modified_gmt":"2020-08-27T19:16:40","slug":"secret-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theatreworldbackdrops.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/3629\/secret-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"The Secret Garden – Going Beyond the Script"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Going Beyond the Script<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Secret Garden<\/em> Backdrops<\/a> <\/em>and Scenery Perspectives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Written by: Melanie Simmons<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone loves a good secret, not to mention a tale of redemption. The beloved musical The Secret Garden<\/em> combines both in a beautiful tapestry of music and mystery that has captivated audiences for decades. The show is based on the novel written in 1911 by Frances Hodgson Burnett. (Author of  A Little Princess<\/em> and Little Lord Fauntleroy<\/em>, which both received their own musical adaptations.) The musical version of The<\/em><\/span> Secret Garden<\/em> was adapted for the stage by Marsha Norman (who also wrote the lyrics) and set to music by Lucy Simon. <\/span>The show enjoyed over 700 performances and gathered Tonys for Best Book of a Musical, Best Actress, and Best Scenic Design.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Secret Garden<\/em> is the tale of young Mary Lennox. Following the death of her parents, she is sent to live with her reclusive, hunchbacked Uncle Archibald. Through her indomitable spirit, she uncovers a secret garden. As she nurses the garden back to life, she brings her family to a place of healing as well, and finds herself a new and loving home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This timeless tale is an excellent choice for any theatre company to stage, especially if you have some incredible young talent to show off. Let\u2019s take a walk through some of the TheatreWorld backdrops that can help you tell this timeless tale of the renewing power of love!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As the show begins, we meet Mary Lennox, the lone survivor of a devastating cholera outbreak. Now orphaned, she is sent away from her native India to live with her only remaining family in England (\u201cThere\u2019s a Girl\u201d). For a strong choice, stage the opening in as starkly and desolately as possible. You\u2019ll really enhance the journey of the characters, especially Mary, by visually allowing the show to \u201cblossom\u201d from death to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TheatreWorld’s Ironworks Header<\/a> and Legs<\/a> set represents the empty, mechanical side of the Industrial Age, the time period in which this story is set. Moving set pieces and lighting could easily show the transitional elements of Mary\u2019s journey, while the metallic colors and criss-crossing beams convey both strength and entrapment. Meanwhile, delicate curving lines and rosette-like details hint at the garden soon to be discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House Upon a Hill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"HAUNTED<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mary arrives at the household of Archibald Crane, the widower of her aunt Lily. His manor house, Misselthwaite, is cold and imposing. Moreover, his brusk housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock, doesn\u2019t do much to comfort Mary upon her arrival (\u201cThe House Upon the Hill\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TheatreWorld has some excellent drops to present the looming Misselthwaite to your audience. Try this Haunted Castle backdrop<\/a>, for example. The washed-out, nearly monochromatic color scheme keeps the industrial, cold feeling. (The iron structures standing sentinel at either side of the drop tie in nicely with the Ironworks set as well.<\/span>) <\/span>The house itself is similarly uninviting. Between the foggy sky and gaping, darkened windows, you’ll ensure your Misselthwaite will give everyone goosebumps.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Haunted House<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"BAROQUE<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Misselthwaite doesn\u2019t just appear haunted, however. Inside, the mansion is teeming with ghosts, both figuratively and literally. Persons from the past who can\u2019t let go – or whom Mary and Archibald cannot let go of – haunt the halls, reminiscing (\u201cA Girl in the Valley\u201d). To Mary, it seems the manor is literally haunted. On her first night, she\u2019s kept awake by an eerie sound (\u201cI Heard Someone Crying\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try this Baroque Parlor backdrop<\/a> for the interior of Misselthwaite. Heavy wooden panels adorn the walls. They are ornate enough to demonstrate the family’s wealth, while still maintaining an oppressive feel. Follow the dominantly-curved arches into the high ceilings and you\u2019ll notice disembodied faces peering down from the shadows. Ghosts are everywhere in this haunted mansion!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Hidden Garden, A Terrible Storm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Scenic<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately for Mary, not everyone at Misselthwaite is stone-hearted. Mary soon meets Martha, a maid who regales her with tales of the surrounding moorlands. Martha encourages Mary to explore the garden (\u201cIf I Had a Fine White Horse\u201d). There, she meets Martha\u2019s brother Dickon (\u201cIt\u2019s a Maze\u201d) and the old gardener, Ben Weatherstaff. With Dickon\u2019s help, Mary summons a bird who helps her find the key to the hidden garden (\u201cShow Me the Key\u201d), but not the door which it unlocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary is determined find the locked garden, but her plans are thwarted by bad weather (\u201cThe Storm\u201d). She is trapped indoors with her brooding Uncle Archibald and his brother Neville, both of whom grieve the long-dead Lily. (Who, alarmingly, Mary resembles, as the men sing in the song \u201cLily\u2019s Eyes\u201d.) Mary uses the gloomy weather to search for the source of the mysterious sound she keeps hearing at night and stumbles upon her cousin Colin, a sickly child who lives in terror that he will turn out just like his father (\u201cA Round-Shouldered Man\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try this Victorian Bedroom backdrop<\/a> for Colin\u2019s room. The lofty height of the windows and ceilings would make it well placed within Misselthwaite. However, the lighter color palette contrasts the rest of the house. One could easily imagine Lily picking out the cheery curtains and white furniture for her baby before tragedy struck and she died during childbirth. Archibald would be determined to keep this room (and the child who reminds him of Lily), firmly separate from the rest of the brooding mansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Mystery Solved – The Door to the Garden<\/h2>\n\n\n