Mary Zimmerman can tell classic stories onstage, brilliantly. Part of [her] success emanates from her unique amalgam of deep intelligence and respect for the text, on the one hand, coupled with her wild, sensual imagination on the other. Once she understands a great work, she plays with it.” —Wall Street Journal

(l to r ) Anne Fogarty and Louise Lamson in Bekeley Repertory Theatre's production of The Secret in the Wings Photographer: Kevin Berne

Tony Award–winning director Mary Zimmerman, cherished by McCarter audiences for her 2000 production of The Odyssey, returns to the McCarter stage with The Secret In The Wings, a haunting collage of lesser-known European fairy tales. For this production Zimmerman expands upon material that she devised with Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre Company over ten years ago to create a visual feast of dreamlike images that evoke the darker side of the human psyche through a tapestry of fantastical storybook fables. Zimmerman is best known for her visceral approach to mythical plotlines and with The Secret In The Wings she creates a narrative of intertwining stories that transports its audience to unexpected lands where the impossible is probable and nothing is safe. It is the dangerous beauty of Zimmerman’s work that rivets us, for we dare not look away. The Secret In The Wings, a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre, promises to both delight and enlighten with a kind of aesthetic verve that is in a category all its own.

In the pages of this guide you will find background information to help you understand the characters and the world of the play. Use this guide and the study questions provided to help prepare your students to experience this production of The Secret In The Wings.