Haunting Themes of First Stage’s ‘Forgotten Girl’ Casts A Spell

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Photo by Paul Ruffolo

First Stage ‘The Forgotten Girl’

Madison Jones, Santana Marie Hayden, and Kayle Phillips (left) in First Stage's ‘The Forgotten Girl’.

There are so many chapters in American history that go beyond what students typically learn in their schoolbooks. One of these important but relatively unknown stories involves segregated cemeteries in the southern U.S. Without proper resources to maintain them over the years, they can fall into disrepair or are even paved over by new construction projects.

The Forgotten Girl tells the tale of one of these cemeteries in North Carolina, as seen through the eyes of Iris, a young Black girl. The play opened on Friday and continues through Nov. 12 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center.

Thanks to a sparkling cast of young actors (the Snow cast performed on opening night) and several adult actors, watching The Forgotten Girl should be mandatory viewing for students (ages 10-12 and above). This world premiere, produced in conjunction with Seattle Children’s Theatre, first appeared as a book by India Hill Brown and was adapted by noted playwright Idris Goodwin. The play is directed here by Jon Royal from Nashville, Tenn. 

All of material’s elements combine to create an exciting adventure story, albeit with some spooky overtones (perfect for the Halloween season). The cast performs with minimal staging and props, although their outfits (by Jazmin-Aurora Medina) are authentic, richly tailored and imaginative. The key characters are beautifully dressed for the occasion, whether it’s the lead character, Iris (Madison Jones), her arch-rival Heather (Abbie Cashman) or her best friend, Daniel (Santana Marie Hayden). Even the ghost-like Avery (Gia Deacon) appears in a deconstructed, steampunk-style outfit that looks like it would fit in quite nicely in a graveyard. Avery sports lace gloves, a multi-layered dress (from an earlier time period) and black, lace-tied boots.

The spunky Iris (Jones) is the captain of her school step team, which is so demanding she has little time for her family. They include a loving mother (Alexandria King), a proud father (Sherrick Robinson, who also doubles as Iris’ teacher, and actor Cynthia Cobb as Suga, a grandmother who keeps a sharp, protective eye on her grandchildren and their friends. The entire cast melds the story elements together into a satisfyingly cohesive whole.

The historical angle is framed as a story-within-a-story. More general themes like family, friendship, forgiveness, loss and a respect for the history of ALL Americans is evident throughout.

As the play begins, Iris and her best friend Daniel discover a near-forgotten cemetery basically in their own backyards, which border a wooded area. By moving overgrown brush and scaping away some snow, they can read the name “Avery Moore” on one of the graves. They are startled to see her birth and death dates, which mean the girl died at about their own age, twelve. They begin wondering what kind of life she had, how her life ended so suddenly, and why her remains are buried in an unknown cemetery.

Their questions become a class history project, at the urging of Avery’s teacher, Mr. Hammond. A fellow classmate, Heather, chooses another theme: her family’s ancestry in the Confederate South. Heather is reminiscent of the Nancy Oleson character from the TV series “Little House on the Prairie.” She strives to remind everyone around her that she has the best house, best neighborhood, best clothing, etc., in the community. She proves to be a handful for Mr. Hammond.

Eventually, the ghostly character of Avery materializes to Iris, as they both share a common predicament. Iris’ achievements often seem to be overlooked by school officials. Each, in their own way, feels forgotten.

In doing further research, Iris and Daniel find that Avery was among a handful of Black children to integrate their school in the 1950s. They wonder why these children weren’t memorialized at the school. It turns out that Daniel’s grandmother, Suga, knew Avery when they were growing up. Her personal recollections fill in some of the blanks in the girl’s story.

Parents Cater to Youngest Child’s Needs

Many of the show’s family scenes will be familiar to all. Iris’ little sister, Vashti (Estelle Brown), longs for Iris’ attention but still acts too “babyish” in the mind of her older sister. In one scene, Iris pouts when their family’s scary TV movie has to be postponed until after Vashti’s bedtime. She feels that her parents’ actions are unfair and favor Vashti. 

The Milwaukee Youth Arts Theater has in-the-round staging, which can be challenging, even for seasoned adult actors. However, under Royal’s guidance, the fine cast keeps moving so that no audience members ever miss an important line or gesture. 

Furthermore, a small group of younger actors appear and disappear on cue as they represent various natural elements. The most memorable of these is a cold winter wind, represented by a long piece of white silk fabric. Iris and Daniel often feel the wind’s touch on their hands and faces as they brave the cold winter blast to find more information about Avery. The use of this waving silk is effective and theatrical.

First Stage has done excellent work in bringing this world premiere to life. The story’s final chapter illustrates that ghosts—both literal and hypothetical—are not going to fade away.

The Forgotten Girl continues through Nov. 12 in Milwaukee Youth Arts Center’s Goodman Mainstage Hall, 325 W. Walnut St. For tickets, visit firststage.org, or call the box office at 414-267-2961.