By Lily Withiam-Leitch
With the end of the fall sports season, the first show of the year is just around the corner! To start off November with a bang, Drama Club will be hosting members and their families at East for their production of Wendy and Peter Pan. Both our Drama Club and Stage Crew have been diligently working in their rehearsals and on the sets and logistics to ensure that the first play of the year is a success!
Wendy and Peter Pan is a spinoff of the original Peter Pan. In this production, the Darling family consists of the three original children, Wendy, Michael, and John, and a new, fourth, younger one, Tom. One night in 1908, Tom mysteriously disappears, leading Wendy and her brothers on an adventure to find their lost brother. Starring seniors Phoebe Auquier as Wendy Darling and Elizabeth Buckingham as Peter Pan, our play is set to take place on November 8th and 9th at 7:00 P.M.; tickets can be bought at the door for $10. The director, Mrs. LoVullo, has carefully selected a very talented cast, including seniors Alli Hagen as Tink, Avery Field as Captain Hook, and Emily Haile as Tiger Lily.
Stage Crew has been hard at work to ensure the actors can perform to the best of their ability. From sword-fighting lessons to harnesses, every detail of this play has been carefully thought out and planned to keep our actors as safe as possible while still keeping a magical feeling for the audience. Mr. McCluskey, our Stage Crew Advisor, has been coordinating with Mrs. LoVullo so the actors and the members of Stage Crew are in sync for opening night.
I interviewed two members of the cast, senior Elizabeth Buckingham and sophomore Claire Woodman–who plays First Mate Murt the Bat–on their thoughts and opinions on the play.
Elizabeth Buckingham, one of our leading cast members, said, “This show has been a show that I’ve always wanted to be in as a kid, and being able to be Peter Pan in my dream show as a character that I’ve immortalized is so cool. It feels like a full circle moment.”
Claire Woodman said, “I’m so excited for the play. We have a combat choreographer who’s been coming in and has a lot of stage experience, and the fight scenes have been so fun. It’s just such a funny play in general. There’s going to be both flying and interactions with the audience, and I’m really excited for those interactions.”
I also interviewed our other leading cast members, Phoebe Auquier, and Alli Hagen on their feelings towards the characters they play.
Phoebe Auquier, our other leading cast member, shared, “I’m having a lot of fun playing the part. It’s definitely been challenging but I’m having a great time at rehearsals and with my other cast members.”
Alli Hagen described her time playing Tink. “I really enjoy playing Tink because she’s not really like anything I’ve ever played before. I usually play a very calm, collected, and more feminine character, and Tink is kind of the opposite in this version. It’s been a really fun experience to kind of change things up my senior year.”
The performance of Wendy and Peter Pan is set to be an incredible success! I want to thank all of the actors, members of Stage Crew, and, of course, Mr. McCluskey and Mrs. LoVullo for all of their hard work and dedication to this production. We really hope you all can join us on November 8th and 9th to watch Drama Club put on an unforgettable performance of Wendy and Peter Pan!
P.S. There will be a Wendy and Peter Pan cast Meet and Greet held at Chiavetta’s for $14 on Friday, November 3rd from 3:30 P.M. to 6:30 P.M.! There will be an option to preorder tickets for the show (the only time before opening night) when you buy dinner. The cast will be available to meet from 5 P.M. to 6 P.M. We really hope you join us and thank you for all your support!
