The Secret Garden
at St. Margaret's Episcopal

Reviewed on March 19, 2016

Claudia Mansoory
Tesoro
Submitted for publication to OC Register

Journey into the Secret Garden with St. Margaret's
written by Claudia Mansoory, a senior at Tesoro High School

In their mesmerizing production of "The Secret Garden", St. Margaret's shares the story of Mary Lennox: a young girl whose life is changed forever when she moves to England following her parents' tragic deaths. Mary struggles to feel welcome in her new home until she, with help from friends made along the way, revives a withering garden. As she tends to the flowers, she cultivates a new sense of family and builds lasting relationships with her once distant relatives.

With captivating vocals and outstanding technical elements, St. Margaret's explores the enduring power of love and the importance of friendship in the face of adversity.

With wide, curious eyes and an innocent, high pitched vocal tone, Heather Nielsen perfectly embodies a defiant child as Mary. When a headmistress visits to take Mary away to school, Nielsen drops facedown to the ground, banging her fists on the floor and letting out grumbled whines until she gets her way. Whether disobediently stomping her feet or quizzically tilting her head, her every movement reflects childlike curiosity and naïveté.

Jonathan Nagel and John Rubenacker create clear physical and emotional contrasts as brothers Archibald and Neville Craven, respectively. In their euphonious duet "Lily's Eyes", the two stand on opposite sides of the stage, Nagel with softly knitted eyebrows and a hunched back, and Rubenacker with a hand proudly resting on his stiff, straight chest.

Katherine Parrish shows off her outstandingly beautiful classical singing voice as Lily Craven, Archibald's deceased wife. Repeatedly throughout the show, she stands motionless behind a picture frame, creating the eerie illusion of a lifeless painting until she steps forward and sings uncanny melodies as a ghost haunting the house.

With an endearing Yorkshire accent, Daisy Sellas delivers a standout performance as Martha, Mary's chambermaid. In her song "A Fine White Horse", Sellas attempts to cheer Mary up by donning wide-eyed facial expressions and passionately gesticulating as she urges Mary to explore outside.

St. Margaret's puts a fresh spin on the classic story by incorporating original animations, hand-drawn by Shelby Nicholas. The animations, evocative of Victorian ink drawings, aid in storytelling in "A Fine White Horse", when sketches of a horse sweep across the stage as the actors sing and dance.

With engaging performances from start to finish, St. Margaret's shares the classic story of love an adventure that is "The Secret Garden".

Isabelle Langlois
University
Submitted for publication to OC Register

It's no Secret St. Margaret's Perfected "The Secret Garden"
written by Isabelle Langlois, a senior at University High School

Six girls in long flowing white gowns enter. The shortest girl curls into a ball on center stage, four other circle her and begin to dance ballet. The final girl stands upstage and sings a desolate yet mesmerizing operatic song. A bright white light beams down and the ensemble rushes in, beginning Saint Margaret's "The Secret Garden".

Heather Nielsen portrays Mary Lennox, a curious yet obnoxious young girl with a dark past filled with death. When Mary first talks with Martha in her bedroom, Nielsen walks around with an arched back and slow, dramatic foot steps. Nielsen asks Martha questions by fluctuating her high-pitched whiny voice and speaking very loud. Nielsen abruptly turns, narrows her eyes and accusingly points her finger at Martha. Nielsen's childlike movement and voice create the short-tempered and defiant character of Mary Lennox.

In the song "How Could I Ever Know", Katherine Parrish (Lily Craven) shows off her angelic operatic voice. Her compelling vocals are loud, forward, and she has a very solemn tone, fitting for the song. Her overpowering voice is very compatible with Jonathan Nagel's (Archibald Craven) soft and raspy tone quality.

Hair designs by Amy Carmer are breathtakingly gorgeous on the actresses. Especially the Dream Dancers, who fashion a half up half down do with cascading ringlets and bright captivating flowers tucked in the side. The clever use of flowers help establish the dancer's connection to the secret garden and Lily Craven.

Dunay Bach and Katie Weaver's makeup designs are simple yet effective. Especially the dreamer's makeup of white/pale foundation with gray color around the eyes which create a ghostly glow to their faces. Their makeup is most noticeable in "I Heard Someone Crying" where the bright blue light along with the dark eye makeup give the dreamers hollow eyes.

The Dancers ensemble (Katherine Sele, Veronika Laird, Hailey Hageman, and Mitra Alikhani) during "Come Spirit, Come Charm" circle around Colin while the Dreamers ensemble circle around the dancers. They rhythmically stomp and out reached their arms towards Colin while hunching forward and facing their heads towards the floor. The unison of the dancers and dreamer's stomp dance is not only impressive, but also pleasant to watch.

The cast and crew of Saint Margaret all work together to create a beautiful performance of "The Secret Garden".

Lexi Ginn
Tesoro
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Secrets Flourish in St. Margaret's Garden
written by Lexi Ginn, a senior at Tesoro High School

When dreams mix with reality and supernatural memories fall into the present, an orphan must overcome many obstacles in order to reach the hidden secrets of the locked garden at St. Margaret's Episcopal High School.

Originally a children's novel, The Secret Garden tells the story of a troubled girl who recently lost her parents to the cholera epidemic in India and then travels to Yorkshire, England to live with a mysterious uncle in a haunted house. Here she discovers unlikely friendships, a wicked uncle, lingering ghosts, and a wonderfully hidden secret garden.

Widening her eyes in curiosity, Mary (Heather Nielsen) transforms her once glum and desolate pout to an innocent grin as she skips with her head leaning forward, embodying childlike mannerisms. Nielsen's movements shift to a carful step when she hears the operatic wailing of Lilly (Katherine Parrish) in the song "I hear someone crying". Parrish's heartbreaking vibrato enriches her presence as she stands tall and still in the framework around her.

Hearing the sobs, Archibald Craven (Jonathan Nagel) hunches forth portraying his grief of his lost love with his morbid drooping stance and by distorting his fingers. His brother, Dr. Neville Craven (John Rubenacker), contrasts Archibald's weak persona with stern expressions as he purses his lips with a strict posture. However contradictory, the pair softens as they experience a tender moment with Nagel's delicate falsetto and Rubenbacker's modulated tone as they crescendo the last note in "Lilly's Eyes".

Contributing to the shows environment, the actors expertly ranged their voices from standard British, Hindi, and Yorkshire accents throughout the production.

The frame-by-frame animations designed by Shelby Nicholas illustrate the supernatural as well as magical ambiance of the story. By using a Q lab system, the hand drawn artwork projects the locations of each scene on back panels. These animations also furthered the ominous setting with following footsteps upon the stage's rake. The make-up and hair, designed by Dunay Bach and Katie Weaver, reflect the beauty of nature by the cascading tendrils of Lilly's hair that flow like vines. Completing the stage's atmosphere of diverse settings is the ensemble. They create haunted hallways by standing in rows, swaying side to side with their morbid stares as they impersonate wind.

St. Margaret's The Secret Garden highlights the power of one small person making a difference in peoples lives and in their hearts.