Following a staging of Narnia this spring, Kitsap Forest Theater presents its summer rendition of another childhood classic, The Secret Garden, in July and August.
Based on the award-winning Broadway musical version of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel, the show takes place in its own “secret garden” bounded by ferns, trees and open sky. This story of wonderment and transformation will be brought to life on Kitsap Forest Theater’s lushly remote stage, where haunting melodies and the “dreamers,” spirits from Mary Lennox’s past, also make an appearance.
Kitsap Forest Theater ā animated by its troupe of actors, The Mountaineer Players ā invites theatergoers to experience drama as nature intended, on a stage lit by the sun and ringed by trees. Considered one of the oldest outdoor theaters in North America, the property is surrounded by a 460-acre Rhododendron Preserve that represents some of the last virgin timber in Kitsap County.
An annual play has been performed on this site (except for a three-year hiatus during WWII) since 1923. Currently, two productions are staged each year, in the spring and the summer. The quarter-mile route leading to the theater hints at the imaginative adventures in store; storybook signs and homespun displays along the wooded path elicit gasps of delight from both young and old visitors who pass.
As an extension of its location, the stage feels all-encompassing rather than separate, crafted from the diversity and abundance of nature’s elements: earth and stones; filtered sunshine (or rain, depending on the weather); leaves, fronds and branches; birdsongs; delicate pink-flowering wild rhododendrons; stage wings made of cedar bark and creeping moss. As the sun moves across the sky from one scene to the next, the setting takes on somber notes or is suddenly brightened by a shaft of light.
Deb Harrick considers this forest theater her home away from home, and for good reason: All four members of her family were cast in Narnia. Her husband, Tod, and their 9-year-old daughter, Jasmine, will also perform in The Secret Garden, with Jasmine cast in a lead role as Mary Lennox. The dynamic and tight-knit Seattle-area family is often together ā sharing ferry rides, volunteer-prepared meals in historic Kitsap Cabin with cast and crew members, and rustic sleeping quarters in a pitched tent under a blue tarp on Saturday evenings between weekend performances.
Harrick reflects that this experience has given her kids a chance to see their parents learn, too. “There have been times when I’ve felt truly honored to be sharing the stage with my family members,” she explains. “As a parent, you feel tremendous respect for the work your children are doing because it’s the same thing you are doing.”
Travelers from the Seattle area can easily make a day trip out of the experience. Theatergoers can prolong the magic of Kitsap Forest Theater by taking a hike to “Big Tree,” the second largest Douglas fir in Kitsap County (families with children should either set out on the hike after the performance or begin the hike around 11 a.m., then return to the parking area to have lunch). A shuttle to the theater for patrons who aren’t able to navigate the trail’s terrain departs at 1 p.m., when the trail leading to the theater opens as well.
Though visitors are welcome to bring their own snacks and water, juice or soda to the show, refreshments are also available near the parking lot and in the theater before the play and during intermission. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear sturdy and comfortable shoes for walking the trails. Seating is festival-style, and those who prefer not to sit directly on the terraced earth seats can bring cushions or stadium-style folding seats and blankets. You can also rent cushions at the theater for $2 apiece.
Kitsap Forest Theater is located a short drive (approximately 15 minutes) from the Bremerton ferry dock. The Secret Garden performances begin at 2 p.m. and are about two-and-a-half hours long with an intermission. After the performance, everyone is invited “backstage” to meet the characters and check out props used during the play.
Photos by Gala Lindvall.