See ‘The Secret Garden’ at CLC
“The Secret Garden,” based on the classic book by Frances Hodgson Burnett and adapted by April-Dawn Gladu, will be presented by the College of Lake County Theatre Department.
Remaining performances include 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, in the Mainstage Theatre of the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts on the Grayslake campus, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake.
Director Scott Mullins invited the playwright, April-Dawn Gladu, to the CLC production, and she will attend the Oct. 2 performance to conduct a “talk back” session after the 2 p.m. matinee. Gladu will discuss her process of adapting “The Secret Garden” for the stage and take questions from the audience.
From 1999 to 2007, she was an associate artist for the Orlando Shakespeare Theater where she performed, taught, directed and wrote world premieres, classic adaptations and theater for young audiences. She did adaptations of “The Jungle Book” as well as “The Secret Garden,” which have been produced in the United States, Canada, the U.K., New Zealand, India, Australia and Kenya.
Gladu spent seven years writing and directing shows and special events for Walt Disney Entertainment. Since 2004, her show “The Perfectly Princess Tea Party” has played five days a week at the Grand Floridian Resort to sold-out crowds. “Cinderella’s Princess Court” closed in 2006 after more than 1,000 performances at the World of Disney Store in New York City.
Based on the celebrated children’s book, “The Secret Garden” is a beautiful and timeless story about the blossoming of the earth and the human spirit. The story follows young Mary Lennox and her cousin Colin as they unlock the mysteries of their past and discover that selflessness, charity and forgiveness open a secret door to happiness.
The cast features Sarah Erickson of Gurnee as Mary, Sarah Ford of Lindenhurst as Mrs. Medlock, Olivia Love-Hatlestad of Grayslake as Martha, Matthew Schroeder of Gurnee as Colin, Julia Gold of Lindenhurst as Garden Tree, Elanna Winnett of Waukegan as Dickon, Rodrigo Arreola of Lake Bluff as Craven and Andy Montano of Mundelein as Ben Weatherstaff.
Tickets are $7 or $5 for groups of 10 or more (in advance) and are available at the Box Office in the James Lumber Center on the Grayslake Campus, 19351 W. Washington St. Prices include a $1 JLC facility fee. For more information, call (847) 543-2300 or visit www.clcillinois.edu/tickets. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 90 minutes before each performance. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more in advance. For information, call (847) 543-2431 or email JLCgroupsales@clcillinois.edu.
To request sign language interpreting, call the box office, at (847) 543-2300, at least two weeks in advance. To request a copy of the 2011-12 CLC cultural arts events brochure, which includes professional touring series as well as college-sponsored events such as music concerts, theater and dance productions, films, art exhibits, literary events and more, call (847) 543-2300 or join the mailing list at www.clcillinois.edu/tickets.
The next CLC theater production will be “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19; 2 p.m. Nov. 13; and 10 a.m. Nov. 18 (for high school students) in the Studio Theatre.