Local children and adults partner once again to unlock another string of shows for Olympic Theatre Arts’ latest Summer Youth production “The Secret Garden.”

A cast and crew of 30-plus people have been working together since mid-June on the stage production that looks to stay true to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic children’s story.

Co-director Marissa Meek says she finds the show to be a “neat opportunity for people of all ages to work together.”

“I love having different generations come together,” she said.

Shows run two weekends starting at 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, from Aug. 9-18, at OTA, 414 N. Sequim Ave.

Photo courtesy Olympic Theatre Arts Mary Lennox (Willow Kilcullen) speaks with her uncle Archibald (Greg Scherer) during a scene of “The Secret Garden.”

Tickets are $20 online at olympictheatrearts.org, or by calling the box office 1-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday at 360-683-7326.

Meek said she directs the stage production for a fourth time after growing up loving and reading the stories. She said she finds the story to be “incredibly hopeful.”

“(The main characters are) broken people because of their grief and isolation,” Meek said. “The garden is what ends up bringing everyone together.”

In “The Secret Garden,” Mary Lennox (played by both Trinity Devlin and Willow Kilcullen) is orphaned in India before she’s sent to live in Yorkshire, England with her uncle Archibald (Greg Scherer) and his ill son Colin (Paco Struve and Sasha Larson).

Photo courtesy Olympic Theatre Arts/ Mary Lennox (Trinity Devlin) talks to the Colin Craven (Pace Struve) from his bed side in a scene from “The Secret Garden.”

Once there, Mary learns of a garden that’s kept off limits following the death of Lillias, Archibald’s wife and Colin’s mom, but its magic ends up changing the lives of many characters for the better.

Meek said a quote from Hodgson Burnett shares the story’s hope: “When you have a garden, you have a future. And when you have a future, you are alive!”

Directors have double cast several roles, Meek said, as they “have so many really talented students who have been working with us for a while, and this was an opportunity to get them into roles.”

They’ve also taken dialect work for the different characters “pretty seriously,” she said.

Children have been integral in creating sets with adult help, from set pieces to all of the flowers in the garden, “so the garden can transform before the audience,” Meek said.

Photo courtesy Olympic Theatre Arts/ Stage manager Phoenix Whitaker and assistant stage manager Penny Medlong work on a set piece for “The Secret Garden.”

“We start off in India, and then go on Mary’s journey, then to the manor, then in and out of the garden,” she said.

“The (revolving set) gives us the opportunity so not just the audience but also the characters can have that moment of awe.”

Meek co-directs with Taylor Dowley, with help from Assistant Director Anna Andersen, Phoenix Whitaker as stage manager/stage hand, choreography by Charlie Medlong, and several behind-the-scenes helpers.

Many costumes and props are on loan from the Port Angeles Community Players, too.