playbill vip

A BIT OF WORDS..

The world of live theater was wrought with heavy challenges in the last year as our stages and arenas sat hollow while the world grappled with so much unexpected change. Artists and theater staff alike were thrown into a moment of unsurety that gripped their world with unyielding digits. We knew when we finally did get back on stage there would be differences waiting for us to learn and to integrate. Many artists remain suspended in this moment; one that washed away our routine and replaced it with the unknown and the often uncomfortable.

However, tonight we are here to celebrate perseverance. This evening gives us the opportunity to convene in one space and share an experience. We do so because the members of this production took on the limits of change with single-mindedness; to safely weave a story for you reflecting our artistry. We do not take for granted the significance of this experience tonight, knowing how quickly change can come. Throughout preparation for tonight’s production no one’s effort was unnoticed and no one was forgotten.

The Secret Garden is a story that encompasses hope. It lets go of the past without abandoning its lessons and steadies itself for a future that appreciates growth. The lens of the past brings gratitude into focus as our characters move into their new beginnings.

Mary Lennox and her uncle Archibald Craven have both endured loss and need to discover the feeling of belonging again. The passing of Archibald’s wife makes it difficult for him to feel whole until becoming Mary’s guardian. Even though Mary lost her parents to a cholera outbreak in India, she’s able to make friends and start a new chapter with her family at the Misselthwaite Manor.

It is my pleasure to say that Jacksonville University can stand as a proud witness to the responsibility and adaptation these students embraced for the production of The Secret Garden. Tonight’s performance is dedicated to our fellow friends of the arts who continue to wait for their time on stage again. We are ready for you and look forward to sharing your gift with the energy and warmth of full venues.

Adrian Sanchez

Director