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Looking inside Rep’s ‘The Secret Garden’
As a child, I was always fascinated by plant-covered walls. I was convinced that if I looked hard enough, I might find a hidden door, and a key to unlock that door, and beyond it a forgotten garden that I would bring back to life. This was, of course, after reading Frances Hodgson Burnett’s "The Secret Garden." I was no Mary – far from it. I wasn't orphaned in India, nor was I sent to live with a reclusive uncle in an eerie mansion in England. We had no servants with strange accents. There were no forbidden corridors in the house, and no crippled cousins hidden away in a room.
Many of these details of the story I'd actually forgotten, except for the idea of a hidden garden.
The experience of watching Repertory Philippines' version of Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon’s adaptation of "The Secret Garden" was dreamlike. Despite being unfamiliar with the songs, I found myself knowing what would come next. As each scene unfolded, there was an odd sense of memories returning. I imagined that this might be how the garden in the story felt, being restored after years of sleep.
Not everyone in the audience felt the same, as some of the older members were nodding off at certain parts. Perhaps it was more interesting for those who had read the book before, as well as for the young ones who were visibly enthralled by the elaborate costumes and set, and of course, powerful performances from the entire cast on the play’s opening night.
Lorenz Martinez was such a convincing Archibald Craven, it took a while before I recognized him as Tatay Kiel in PETA's Rak of Aegis. Every time he'd come onstage, everyone would sit up a little straighter, and almost every song was met with enthusiastic applause. Red Concepcion as the merry Dickon was another crowd favorite, as well as Natalie Everett as the endearing Martha. Caisa Borromeo was a captivating Lily, with such a sweet voice and moving so gracefully that many of the children in the audience would gasp in admiration.
The two youngest actors, Ashlee Factor as Mary Lennox and Daniel Drilon as Colin Craven, were quite impressive. Drilon managed to be charming, despite the character’s constant tantrums. Meanwhile, Factor gave an energetic performance as Mary Lennox, whether as a petulant child or a sweet, innocent girl who only wanted a bit of earth.
According to director Anton Juan, his vision was to focus on the message of the story. “I wanted to articulate that finding the secret garden was to liberate oneself from the feeling of domination. It is not just a musical about how love forgives, how healing is attained by finding and liberating the truth in us; but also an allegory of liberation of our free spirits,” he said in a press release.
"The Secret Garden" was a magical experience, not just during, but after. Days after watching the play, I find myself still thinking about it. That the garden itself was never shown was somewhat disappointing. On the other hand, it would be impossible to match any garden that was grown in the imagination. This was also what set designer Ohm David wanted to achieve by avoiding obvious interpretations and allowing the audience to complete the picture.
As a whole, the play successfully delivers its message of returning to simplicity and looking inward. As Juan said: “I hope this musical will remind us to hold what’s most essential and important; and that’s what is inside of us. Lest we forget, come to my garden.” — BM, GMA News
The Secret Garden will be staged until December 20, 2015 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas. For more details, call Repertory Philippines at (02) 8433570.
