Ever since the beginning of the rehearsal process, director Kris Peterson really wanted the cast to get their hands in the dirt. Like the events of the musical, the earth has a power to connect us to each other, and she recognized that. One way that Charlotte and I thought to do this was to provide a small number of seeds to each cast member and invite them to grow their own plants over the summer. This was also a way to encourage the cast members to stay mentally connected to the show even when they were physically distant from the rehearsal space.
To grow their plants, the cast was each given seeds and an instructional booklet on how to help them thrive. As Dickon wisely says in the show, “All that garden needs is us to come wake it up.” We were ready to put in the work to wake up our own gardens. Additionally, Charlotte and I wrote a character guide to help each cast member apply their gardening to the script. Here’s an example of the packet we gave to Mary.
This booklet included quotes from the show, a section for the actors to reflect on the process, plant growing tips, and space to write their own song or chant to their plants.
Here are some of the cast members’ experiences!
“I waited until I got home for the summer to put my seeds in a pot. I think it was wildflower seeds because I had some blue, red and yellow flowers that sprouted. I got a performing gig up in New Hampshire and decided to take my plant with me for the whole month. And even though the gig itself was hard, stressful, and overly demanding, I was still able to take care of it! So now it's back home and I think we'll eventually plant it in my sister's butterfly garden.
The blue flowers are from when I had the plant in New Hampshire, and the yellow flowers are the most recent photo!”
Arielle Pederson, Mrs. Medlock
"My grandmother is a master gardener, and I have many fond memories of garden tea parties and flower balls at her house growing up. Her love of beauty and nature opened my eyes to how miraculous the earth is and nurtured my appreciation for the simple blessings in life."
Anne Blotter, Martha Sowerby
“Growing up I did lots of gardening and I really enjoyed it but since moving out I hadn’t really thought too much about it. When Kris gave us seeds, I picked Zinnias because they’re gorgeous and I was feeling ready for spring flowers! I planted some seeds and waited about two weeks and was so disappointed that nothing sprouted. I restarted, and two weeks later, still nothing! Then my husband and I moved across the country for the summer and I tried again! Finally, a little guy sprouted up! You can see in this picture that he wasn’t perfect, his leaf was a little mangled, and the soil I planted him in was pretty low budget. However, when I first saw that little sprout, I almost screamed for joy!!! After so much anticipation I was so happy to see the magic finally happening. It’s like witnessing a miracle. This production of The Secret Garden is full of miracles. Its characters are like seeds that take a long time to sprout. Though, when they do, they bring happiness and love to those around them.”
Lydia Cox, Jane
It has been clear to see that the process of growing these seeds has been beneficial to all involved. In The Secret Garden script, it says, “There’s a charm in this garden… the longer you stay in it, the stronger you’ll be.” We have felt the strength of our gardens invigorating us to be both better performers and humans. In my personal experience, I have felt my own joy in nature and people grow as I connect with gardening more.
We invite you to join in our journey of discovery by bringing the earth into your own life. Whether it’s with a garden or just a couple of seeds, we know that it will strengthen your joy!
