"The Secret Garden" presented by The Upton Recreation Commission Youth Theater

The Nipmuc Regional High School’s theater has been transformed into a beautiful garden, where colorful paper mache flowers, garden animals and trees will come to life in a theatrical performance of “The Secret Garden.” Written by Jen Davis, with original music by Bob Nicoll, this unique adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett‘s book “The Secret Garden” will be presented this Friday, July 22 at 11AM and 6PM at The Nipmuc Regional High School in Upton. Both performances are free and open to the public.

The performances are the culmination of a two-week summer theater program co-directed by Jen Davis and Bob Nicoll, who every year bring ambitious productions as part of Upton Recreation Commission’s summer program. This dynamic duo has been running this program since 2007. Last year, they even put together a bilingual adaptation of the Aesop’s Fables in order to extend the program to English language learners, while also providing an opportunity for children to interact with each other in two different languages. “I have been composing for over 30 years and by chance or fate I've always been given an opportunity and reason to create music. For me, writing and orchestrating the music is a challenge that I enjoy and Jen and I both enjoy creating an original product,” said Bob Nicoll, who always composes original music for Jen’s scripts, which are often written with a sensibility that honors children’s imaginations. “Some of the kids in our program have been with us since its inception so I've had the opportunity to see them grow from these cute little beings into mature young adults,” said Jen Davis with a bright smile.

Jen and Bob have created a much-needed platform for families and their children to come together to create a community through artistic expression. While children rehearse, there are a number of high school students helping with props, curtains and lights. Parents are just as involved in creating and building the set design and the costumes. Carolyn Harp, a parent of two participating children, said: “Every year, Jen and Bob create a magical and fun experience for our children. My kids have been a part of this camp for the past few years and they always look forward to the next production. This has become the highlight of our summer.”

With nine years in the making, each year the program seems to have grown in size and scope. When asked about the program’s evolution, Jen said “Every year, our productions have grown in every way, number of kids, length of script, amount of music and the fun has grown exponentially as well. For me, the most important thing is that the kids have fun and feel proud of what they've accomplished despite the end product, which I think is always great because the kids have a blast putting it together and are so invested in it.” You too, can be a part of this experience by joining any of the two performances this Friday. For a sneak preview of the music visit: www.bobnicollmusic.com

When: Friday, July 22 at 11AM and 6PM (two performances)

Where: Nipmuc Regional High School, 90 Pleasant Street, Upton

What: Free theater performance of “The Secret Garden”