Local theater is producing a Latinx version of an American classic The Secret Garden


By Edwin Oscar Gutierrez, Jr.

Local theater group Olympia Family Theater will present their production of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from September 30 to October 16.

Adapted by Maybelle Reynoso, this version of the novel is set in the Pacific Northwest and will feature live actors and puppet shows.

The Secret Garden is the story of two children who discover and explore a locked garden and how their lives are changed in the process. Reynoso’s adaptation tells the story from a Latinx perspective.

“There’s a Latinx cast and there’s a lot of Spanglish in the script,” said director Emily McHough. “Plus, it’s modern and set in the Pacific Northwest, so it features native plant species here.”

CAST

Marie – Daniela Acuna

Carlos – Olivier Garcia

Dee–Beckham with bare hands

Don Benicio – Raphael Venegas

Medlock – Angel Ramirez

Mouse – Lex Langguth-Torres

Mary’s Uncle – Victor Velazquez

Together – Elise Garcia, Angelie Negron, Christine Yorba, June Eventyr

Tickets can be purchased on the company’s website and are available 24 hours before performances. Friday performances are at 7 p.m. while Sunday 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. performances are at 3 p.m. and will require attendees to wear masks due to an expected increase in attendance.