By Courtney Zapp | Staff writer, photographer
It’s all about faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust in Indian Trail’s production of Peter Pan. Overseen by spot-on narrator Kat Cooper, this version of the tale of “the boy who would not grow up” revolved around the use of lighting to create a setting. While the physical set itself was plain, made up of wooden platforms and stairs, the real life of the stage was the swirling blue and green lights representing the skies and seas of Neverland, apart from the actors themselves of course, who almost seemed made for the parts they played, from Slightly, the lost boy, to Peter Pan himself.
“We hold auditions before we choose the shows,” explains director Bob Allen. “I chose Peter Pan because I had the people for it.”
This consideration for the students and the endless possibilities for their roles in plays is shown in Jacob Dorst, a Biotechnology Academy senior who plays Peter, marking his eighth show.
“[It’s] helped me grow as a leader,” says Dorst, about theatre and its positive effects.
And a leader he surely is – a leader of the lost boys, that is. Now, with Peter Pan usually comes the thoughts of mermaid songs across the lagoon and chorus’ of ‘I can fly, I can fly!’ through the London sky, but not so much with this adaptation. There’s no need to worry though, for the sense of whimsy was maintained by audience interaction, sparking the appearance of “fairies” throughout the auditorium. The presence on stage, in all aspects the characters, the setting, and the story – is tickled by the barely grasped mystique that is Peter Pan and his home of Neverland.
“Here is my story,” as Allen simply explains of the theatrical arts. “I am going to tell you my story.”