By Khushika Shah
Mt. Hebron Theatre will be performing a rendition of “Peter and the Starcatcher” at 7 p.m. on Nov. 11-13 and 2 p.m. on Nov. 14 in the school’s auditorium. The play is inspired by the novel “Peter and the Starcatchers” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. It serves as a prequel to the popular story, Peter and Wendy, giving the backstory of some of the most beloved characters of all time. 

Senior Gary Gibbs II, who stars as Peter, believes his role to be daunting yet gratifying. Gibbs is overjoyed about being cast as the main lead. He believes there is nothing better than live theater and implores students to come and watch the origin story of “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up”

He said, “This is a story of how Peter Pan got his name and became the character we all know.”

The play will not only highlight Peter Pan’s everlasting coming of age but will dive into the stories of other characters like the fearless Molly Aster, played by senior Isabella Maheu, and Black Stache who eventually becomes the infamous Captain Hook, played by junior Evan McClure. 

When asked about his role as the villain McClure said, “It’s a really cool experience to play a character such as Stache that is funny, charismatic, and still menacing at the same time. I think it plays really well onto what I try to be as an actor.” He also shares how he has found a community in theatre and believes it to be his privilege to be a part of it.

The show is under the advisory of the play director, Ms. Carlsen. She has been working for the past three years as the theatre teacher for Mt. Hebron. 

“The preparation for the play has been awesome! We have an incredible cast that is dedicated and talented,” she said. 

The cast recently started rehearsing for the play and have been on a tight schedule since then. Students are grateful for rehearsals during theatre classes instead of grinding practices after school. This optimization gives them time to manage school work and other extracurriculars on their plate accordingly. 

Gibbs explains, “When rehearsing during theatre classes, you have more time for yourself while still being a part of the theatre.” He also shared that people are ‘super excited’ to see live performances once again. 

This will be Mt. Hebron’s first show in two years due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.  Junior Samantha Ritter saw her first and only Mt. Hebron production, “Damn Yankees” in 2019. She shared her enthusiasm for this theatre comeback and said that she can’t wait to see Mt. Hebron perform again, saying, “I am always impressed by the way Hebron performs. ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ is a really aesthetically pleasing show and I know the crew is going to do a great job on stage.”

The collective creative energy from the cast and crew is set to bring the characters to life in a show filled with light-hearted humor and plot twists that will make for a memorable evening for all audience members. 

McClure said, “you’re going to get emotional at times but you are also going to be trying to hold in your laughter sometimes. There will be some obvious things but it might get turned around with surprises, so you’ll have to keep paying attention.”

The Mt. Hebron Theatre Department is excited to finally share this play with students and staff. Tickets for the show are available now on the Mt. Hebron Theatre website. Until then, look for more information on “Peter and the Starcatcher” as the show approaches its opening.