After Sara J Thompson’s college theater’s curtains closed three years ago she picked up a clipboard to start directing plays and musicals at ELHS, as well as to keep a connection to something she loves.
According to Thompson, the two-year director of the school’s plays and musicals, the fall play “Peter and the Starcatcher” tells the story of how Peter Pan came to be. Based on the 2004 novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, “Peter and the Starcatcher” is a story that explains how the characters of the novel and play “Peter and Wendy” came to be.
Thompson chose “Peter and the Starcatcher” for the fall play because of the positive experiences she has connected with the play. In college, Thompson was a part of their production of the play, and she wants students at ELHS to experience the same worthwhile connection.
“Even though it is a play, there is some music in it, so it’s not technically a musical, but it’s a little bit of a musical,” Thompson said.
The theater this year has a cast of 16 and over 20 technicians who have been working from 5 p.m to 6 p.m on Mondays through Thursdays until a couple of weeks before the show.
Young Molly Astor, who is one of the main protagonists of the play, is played by Zoe Yingling (12). Yingling has been a part of the school’s plays and musicals since the spring musical of her freshman year, and said after all the rehearsal process has been put together the play becomes something “magical.”
“You’re in a different world really, especially in full costume, with all the lights and when everything and the set gets put together,” Yingling said. “It’s just magical, I guess, and it’s like, all that hard work is worth it.”
Mya Gonzalez (10) plays Mrs. Bumbrake, a supporting character who is Molly Astor’s nanny. Gonzalez is looking forward to “making the audience laugh” due to Mrs. Bumbrake’s nature of playfulness and girlish charm even in her older age.
“My favorite part so far is probably the singing and the dancing for Act II,” Gonzalez said.
John Furtaw (12) plays Lord Astor, a Victorian English gentleman who is the father of Molly Astor. “Peter and the Starcatcher” is Furtaw’s first play. Due to the somewhat musical aspects of the play, he is considering acting in the spring musical.
“My character is pretty cool. He’s rich and I get to talk with a British accent,” Furtaw said. “So that’s cool.”
Additionally, the theater hired a tech director beginning with this year’s play. While she’s had a 23-year career in technical theater, ELHS for the Performing Arts and Technical Manager Amber Rockey has been working with the crew on this year’s play. Rockey supervises student technicians in all areas such as costumes, lights, scenery and sound. Plus, she manages the two auditoriums for the district at the middle school and high school.
Because they were not able to get a rental package of costumes for the show, Rockey said they have had fun sewing costumes for actors for the show.
“It’s fun because we’re making a whole bunch of pirate costumes,” Rockey said. “I just made an elegant sequin gown that’s for a mermaid. So that’s really fun.”
According to Rockey, the crew started with 28 technicians but has dropped down to 25 due to various reasons. The crew has been working hard to get from preproductions to running the show.
“The most fun is running the show,” Rockey said. “But you can’t be on stage crew and run the show if you haven’t helped build the set. You can’t be a dresser helping backstage with costumes if you haven’t helped build the costumes, just because you got to do the hard work to do the fun work.”
One of the technicians, Ali Andrews (10) has been working on the sets for the play, which started two weeks after school started. Andrews has been enjoying the process with a small group of friends in their area of work.
Tori Logan (10), another technician working on the play, agreed with Andrews, that a small close group of people has made the work environment fun.
“My favorite part is probably the stage crew because no one can see backstage,” Logan said. “We just dance and have fun backstage.”
As some of the technicians have been working hard, they have created props like movable parts of the set, such as ponds, that will change throughout the play itself.
Furtaw, Gonzalez and Yingling are a small part of a larger cast, who have been working to show “Peter and the Starcatcher.” Just like Andrews and Logan who have been focusing on technical aspects of the show.
The theater will be holding the four showtimes of the production from Nov. 14 through Nov. 16 starting at 7 p.m, with the last possible showing is on Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through GoFan or at the door.
