Knox County Library

Contact: Mary Pom Claiborne Posted on 3-29-2010

865-215-8767
865-640-4146

Discover The Secret Garden at Knox County Public Library

Join us for a live stage performance of the beloved children’s classic

(Knoxville, TN) Knox County Public Library is pleased to welcome a live stage performance of The Secret Garden on Monday, April 5 at 4:00 p.m. at the Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive. Presented by the Hampstead Stage Company of New Hampshire, this performance is free and open to the public.

The Secret Garden was written in 1911 by Frances Hodgson Burnett who once lived in and near Knoxville.   It isan enchanting story about a young orphan girl, Mary Lennox, who comes to live with her uncle in the English countryside. Through her curiosity and determination, Mary finds a garden filled with memories, that has been locked for years. Her youth and enthusiasm breathe life into each character she meets, bringing love back into the family. With this heartfelt story, we hope to share its message of hope, healing, and friendship.

Hodgson was born on November 24, 1849 in Manchester, England. She was the third child of five born to Eliza Bond and Edwin Hodgson, who owned a successful interior decorating store. After her father's death in 1852,  the decline of the economy in Manchester, and her mother's failed attempt to maintain the business, the family moved family to America. They settled near Knoxville, Tennessee in 1865 where she began her literary career at age 18.  Her most famous children’s books are The Secret Garden, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and A Little Princess.

For more information on this program, please call 215-8767.

About the Hampstead Stage Company

The Hampstead Stage Company's mission is to educate audiences throughout the country by bringing classic literature to life through live theatre, thus sparking an interest in reading the classics, instilling a love and appreciation of the arts, and preserving theatre for future generations. Located in Barnstead, NH, the company got its start 27 years ago when three friends from Hampstead, England came to America to pursue their dreams. Since then, The Hampstead Theatre Company has grown into one of the largest educational touring companies in the nation. Performing over two thousand shows a year in all 48 contiguous states; they have played for about twenty million audience members.