This production of The Secret Garden illuminated the story through Mary’s perspective; establishing her fears, memories and the hauntings of person and place from the beginning scenes in India throughout the entire piece. We created distinct worlds in the costume design: one in which The Dreamers and Lily moved in and out of the audiences’ reality seamlessly as ghosts of Misselthwaite Manor or the musical personification of storms and the moor. While the other world reflected that of the living characters and late 19th century England.

Inspired by Arthur Rackham's artwork and Pamela Gilbert’s research of cholera on the body in 19th century England, a palette of mottled blue, turquoise and tan enabled the Dreamers' costumes to be changeable under different hues of stage lighting and provided a background for Lily and the living characters on the mostly parchment-toned/inspired set. Lily's pink, romantic silhouette remembers her “at her most beautiful" in Archibald's memory.

Finally, the world of Mary and the living characters evolves from dark mourning tones to bright, vibrant colors of Spring and the blooming garden.

These costumes focused the action, allowed for transformations under light, harmoniously blended with the music, and brought the characters off the page to the stage.