It’s heavy materialfor a children’s book or, in this case, a staged play, which Acacia TheatreCompany opened last weekend. Fortunately, the play’s message came throughdespite unevenness in the production’s sound quality and acting.
Audio problemsplagued the opening night performance from the start, as some actors weredifficult to hear while others, like the young, talented actress playing Mary(Alison Pogorelc), couldn’t be understood given the loud volume. Add someopening night jitters and it took a while before the cast settled into thisstory of Mary finding happiness in life through the “secret garden.”
Pogorelc, alreadyexperienced on other Milwaukeestages, did a fine job of transforming the pouty, unhappy Mary into a childfull of life. Courtney Harding’s portrayal of the naive maid Martha helped toprovide stability to the supporting cast, as did Mike D. DeLong’s good-heartedgardener, Ben Weatherstaff. As Martha’s brother, the gardener Dickon, EthanYork was a perfect balance of genteel innocence and worldly ways.
The set relied onthe audience’s imagination, given the minimal use of vines and gray brickwalls. It required a leap of faith on the part of the audience to picture whatthe actors were seeing and experiencing in the secret garden.
Director ElaineRewolinski added some nice touches, including an opening scene in which all ofthe actors formed a tree, as well as live actors placed inside picture framesin the gloomy manor.
Acacia Theatre’s TheSecret Garden runs through March 7 in the Todd WehrAuditorium at Concordia University.
