‘The Secret Garden’ a good season finale for VPA

Jackie Cochran’s rendition of “The Secret Garden” is a touching, feel-good production you won’t want to miss.

Admittedly, this show isn’t for the fast-paced, joke-a-minute crowd. The plot revolves around a prepubescent girl bringing animation into the lives of her caregivers while developing her own humanity.

Actress Kasey Shaw gives a convincing performance as Mary Lennox, the spoiled and glowering orphan who goes to live with her recluse uncle, Master Craven. Shaw transforms from an unsympathetic terror into a lively and, eventually likable young girl.

The two child leads, Shaw and Luke Johnson (who plays Master Craven’s bedridden and tempestuous son, Collin), play off each other admirably. The chemistry is especially apparent when the two argue; each parallels the other’s child-like debate skills. (Think ‘is so’ vs. ‘is not’, and whoever yells the loudest wins).

Alora Zulliger (playing Mary’s maid, Martha) and Tyler Smith (playing Dickon, Martha’s brother) shine as supporting characters. There’s no question that Jackie Cochran cast the play well. Patricia Bloom plays the antagonistic Mrs. Medlock, the housekeeper. Bobbie Gannon and Kevin Cochran play Nurse Grey and Doctor Spencer. Gannon’s pithy remarks and Cochran’s bumbling antics provide comic relief for the show.

The tech crew deserves mention as well. The scenery is provided by Mariana Zopel, who hand-painted multiple flats for the show. The dialogue mentions Misselthwaite Manor’s 100 rooms, and the show utilizes more than one of them. The artwork is beautiful. Its simplicity adds a genuine feeling to the ever-changing settings offered in “The Secret Garden.”

The show best fits under the “cute” or “feel good” genre. Anyone looking for a high-action thriller should check out the nearest theater marque, but for fans of intimate productions, the Machetanz is the place to be.

“The Secret Garden” is the closing production of Valley Performing Art’s 34th season, so if you’ve yet to see a play from the season’s lineup, this show is a great opportunity to support your local community theater.

The show begins Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $15 for youth and seniors. The show runs until May 23 so anyone interested should book their tickets in advance by calling Valley Performing Arts at 373-0195 or going online at www.valleyperformingarts.org.

Sofia Fouquet is a senior at Colony High School.