From April 27 – 29 and May 4 – 6, the Williston community gets to feel the magic of Peter and the Starcatcher, the Theatre Department’s spring play.

The play revolves around Peter Pan, first known as Boy, and how he became to be the famous, forever young character we all know today.

Essentially a coming-of-age story without Pan actually growing up, Peter and the Starcatcher is a tale of bravery, courage, and friendship.

The play contains a great deal of music, almost enough to be a musical. Officially, it is a play, given that much of the music is underscoring dialogue, used in scene changes, and only a few times does it serve as accompaniment to a full cast song.

Kevin O’Sullivan ‘18, plays Boy/Peter. “The cast is amazing, I love everybody,” he said. “We’re having an awesome time. I feel like I’m working with my family, even though we have to work for two hours a night, it’s a good time.”

Like Kevin, many other student-actors play more than one role in the show. Harrison Winrow ’18 is one of those people, playing two roles in the show, Fighting Prawn and Grempkin.

“It is tremendously fun and goofy, yet incredibly profound,” Harrison said.

Josh Holmberg ’18, known in the show as Smee, said about the cast that he “wouldn’t want to go through this process with anyone else.”

Junior Risa Taipans is the show’s stage manager; it’s her second time stage managing a spring show.

“Last time, we did a musical, which to me was much more difficult, but there’s still, in this show, so many moving pieces, it’s a challenge,” she explained.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what people think of the show,” she added. “‘In the Heights’ was a big hit last year, and this is pretty different from it, but i think people will like it.”

Emily Ditkovski is the Director of the Williston Theatre Department and Director of the production. She outlined just how relevant and resonant the play is.

“This play is about the path we take to becoming our best selves and the challenges we face along the way,” said Ditkovski. “There is no child, teenager, or adult that doesn’t need to be reminded that beyond life’s challenges, complications, and heartbreak lies new understanding about who we truly are.”

She added, “I hope our audiences come away thinking about the hopes and dreams they have for themselves and the path they can carve out to making those things come true.”

In addition to the show, Arts Intensive students collaborated on a project to create a painting for the show on which anyone is free to write his or her hopes.

Williston’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher will be shown on April 27-29 from 7:30-9:30 and May 4-6 from 7:30-9:30 in the Theatre in Scott Hall.