This semester, the advanced acting students, under the direction of Professor Samantha Stern, are putting on a production of “The Secret Garden.” The cast has limited time to assemble this unique production of a classic story. The significance of the play as well as the collaborative efforts of the community have really elevated this show beyond just a classroom assignment, to a real work of art.
This production is special for many reasons, one being that all the cast members are returning students of Stern’s. She explains part of the reason she chose this play for her class to do was because she knew this group of students were beyond capable of taking on this show. Students have worked hard to prepare for this performance, even working with a diction coach to learn two British dialects, as it is set in England in the early 20th century. The show centers around Mary Lennox, an orphaned girl who moves to live under the care of her uncle and helps her family celebrate the joy of life once again.
Aside from this, Professor Stern holds “The Secret Garden” close to her heart because she has a personal connection to this show. When she was working on her Master of Fine Arts Degree (MFA) at UCF Conservatory Theatre, she performed in a production of “The Secret Garden” at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. Coincidentally, at this time she learned she was expecting her first child, a “joyous if not unexpected event” as she describes it.
Professor Stern explains, “Being that it happened during a show that talks so much about growth and life and just the beauty of nature,” the show became all the more special to her. Seeing how nature can bring peace and healing to the characters of the show, Stern felt a unique connection to the story, especially as a student and soon to be mother at the time. Overall, she feels, “It was just such a unique and transformative experience for me.”
Another aspect of what makes this performance so special is that they are working with Florida Agencies Serving the Blind to give accommodations to the visually impaired, a group of people who are severely underserved in the arts. This organization works with blind and visually impaired people in Florida to provide them with hope for their futures and the support they need. They work to find people rehabilitation programs, advocate for Floridians through legislature, and they offer support and community to people of all ages.
After extensive research, Stern has chosen to collaborate with the tech and set design team as well as the actors to help the story really come to life, not just visually, but also audibly and physically.
They have even added a touch tour before their matinee show on Sunday, October 29, so that people can feel the set, props, and the costumes. Stern is grateful for this opportunity and explains that it has been a, “New way of looking at the art of theatre and the expression of a production in a way that we hadn’t done before [during her time at DSC].”
Although all the actors are experienced students, this show is full of new learning experiences for many of them. With her very first leading role, student Natalia Meretz is portraying the main character, Mary Lennox. Natalia is incredibly grateful for this opportunity, as she also has a very personal connection to the show and to the character.
“Growing up, I watched the movie with my grandmother, and she passed away two years ago, so doing the show reminds me so much of her,” Meretz said. She has read the book countless times and hopes to bring authenticity and life to the role. “I just love Mary, and I feel like she is an extension of me. I can’t wait to share this with everyone.” Meretz is grateful to have such talented and amazing friends in the cast and to Professor Stern for her unending support and nurturing love and direction.
The environment in rehearsals is fast paced to say the least, being expertly run by Professor Stern, the Director, Riley McDonald, the Assistant Director, Emerson Short, the Stage Manager, and Madison Clark, the Assistant Stage Manager. During rehearsal, the directors work with the actors on the use of their bodies to portray an emotion and they work on deciding the motivation behind the lines. This helped the actors to make clear choices in their delivery of the lines and really connect with their characters.
Seth Kirk, who plays Colin in the show feels most excited to share this performance with his community because, “this show is catered toward a group of people who don’t typically get the chance to enjoy live theatre.” He explains that this is a unique production because of this inclusivity, but also because he gets to share the stage with his incredibly talented classmates. Kirk says, “I’m excited to share with everyone this incredibly touching story about nature healing all.”
For students interested in seeing this production, the show will take place at the News Journal Center in the Gillespy Theatre on Saturday, October 28, at 2:30pm and 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 29, at 2:30pm. All community members are welcome, but it is a ticketed event. Students enter for free with an ID, adult tickets are ten dollars and children’s tickets are five dollars. The cast and crew who have worked incredibly hard would appreciate your support and hope to see you there!
Photo by Amani Guitard.
Photo by Amani Guitard.
Photo by Amani Guitard.