In late August, auditions were held to cast the 2022 fall play, Peter and the Starcatcher. Students of all grades were gathered in the lobby practicing monologues before auditioning for Mr. Ferguson, director, and Ms. Sartori, costume designer. Once the auditions concluded and the cast list was posted, rehearsals began on September 7th, leaving about 8 weeks off preparation until the play’s opening night on November 3rd. 

Peter and the Starcatcher tells the story of a young orphan boy and his friends’ experience going from a cruel orphanage to a rickety ship called the Neverland, where they meet a courageous girl with a special power, who leads them on huge adventures through the sea and on foreign lands. This saga presents the origin stories of the well known characters Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, Smee and Wendy Darling.

The cast, a medley of three freshmen, one sophomore, three juniors, and seven seniors spent many exciting hours rehearsing for their 7 shows, all of which were sold out. General admission tickets, sold to students, family, faculty, and other drama lovers, were on sale for 5 dollars. 

Noelle Dwight, ‘24, has been an active member of the Gibbons Drama Program since her freshman year in 2020 and was a cast member of Peter and the Starcatcher. She shares about the show, “…it was an amazing experience because I am so passionate about the style of theater we were performing” and further explains the play was a more imaginative and innovative type of theater than the norm at Gibbons.

Not only did this play allow for creativity from the cast, but the audience too. Those who viewed the show were left with a positive impression from the incredible tech design, costumes, music, and talented students portraying pirates, sailors, mermaids, and other fun creatures. 

As the student body only continues to welcome more gifted students to the drama program, more opportunities to witness their talent will arise. The musical, Bright Star, and the play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, will be available to attend this spring, and you certainly won’t want to miss it!