“The Secret Garden” premieres at the Doudna Fine Arts Center Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Theatre.

There will be three other performances after opening night; Friday and Saturday shows will begin at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday afternoon there will be a matinee at 2 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased in the box office or at www.doudnatix.com.

As part of Doudna’s special ticket promotion for the 2019-2020 performance year, the first 50 students to bring their Panther Cards to the box office will receive a complimentary ticket to the performance.

The promotion is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Directed by Larry Cox, professor of musical theatre, the classic story (originally written by Frances Hodgson Burnett) will come to life on stage at Doudna.

“This show is a great story. It shows a spoiled little girl, Mary, her parents recently deceased, going across the world to her uncle Archibald, with the remembrance and guidance of her loved ones that have passed, with her heart softening as she goes,” said Katie Lister, a junior theater arts major and stage manager of the show in an email exchange.

Lister said the entire cast and crew have been working hard to make the show successful and hope to have a big turnout this weekend.

“As the Stage Manager, I can’t express enough how proud I am of this cast and crew,” Lister said. “It fills my heart to the brim to work with them on this show to make it as beautiful as it is. I’ve have seen them grow in their work, and they definitely have something to be proud of. If you’re not doing anything this weekend, you should come see it. You won’t regret it.”

Kate Figlewski can be reached at 581-2812 or kjfiglewski@eiu.edu