Contact: Jon L. Egging, Marketing Director

Opening on August 12 and running till August 19, THE SECRET GARDEN tells the heartwarming story of how a single child can transform the lives of those around her. A dark spell of sorrow and mystery hovers in the air as the young orphan, Mary Lennox, arrives at Misselthwaite Manor, the Yorkshire estate of her uncle Archibald Craven. She soon discovers an abandoned secret garden that once belonged to her uncle’s late wife, Lily. Now though, weeds grow where roses once bloomed. Mary decides that this place will be her secret refuge and she begins to tend the garden alone. Inside the manor, another secret lurks. At night, strange, haunting sounds echo down the empty corridors - is it the wind howling or a child crying? This mystery is so deep that is will take all Mary's determination and courage to solve it. With the help of her friend Dickon and her secret garden, Mary eventually finds the peace and strength to nurture herself as well as her petulant and demanding relatives.

The Second Company is made up of members of the Peterborough Players Intern and Apprentice Company. It is mostly made up of students who are pursuing a career in theatre and they come from around the country. These are the people who run the theatre during the summer, building sets, being backstage, greeting patrons as ushers, maintaining the grounds and facilities, and assisting where ever needed, all while mounting their own shows and participating in weekend cabarets and trying to eat on a regular basis. It is a challenge, but one that they gladly take up. At the end of the summer one of the interns will be awarded the James Whitmore Award for Excellence along with a cash prize. The award is given to the intern who best embodies the ideals of the Peterborough Players and has shown the most promise of a long career in the theatre. They are judged not only on their stage performances, but on their abilities to be well rounded theatre professionals.

With Direction from Managing Director Keith Stevens, sets by Tina Newhauser, costumes by Meagan Becker, and lights by Andrew Florida, THE SECRET GARDEN is a great show for the whole family. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

The Secret Garden is rated “G”.

The Peterborough Players is sponsored in part by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Foundation. The 2006 Media Sponsor is the Keene Sentinel, and the 2006 Second Company co-sponsors are SDE-Staff Development for Educators and Antioch University, New England.

Season subscriptions are now on sale at the Players Box Office. For reservations and further information, call (603) 924-7585, or visit the Peterborough Players web site at www.peterboroughplayers.org.

©2001 - 2008 Peterborough Players, PO Box 118, 55 Hadley Road, Peterborough, NH 03458

Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Deb Porter-Hayes
Designed and Maintained by Prospero Design LLC