By: Hayley Strahs

Editor-in-Chief

The LGHS Drama Department kicked off its 2025-26 season with the fall play, Peter and the Starcatcher. After three months of rehearsing, Peter and the Starcatcher opened on Nov. 13 for a magical weekend of three shows.

Peter and the Starcatcher is a prequel to Peter Pan and follows the Aster family on two concurrent nautical expeditions on The Neverland and The Wasp. On The Neverland, Molly Aster, played by senior Alexis Dorn, must collaborate with orphans Prentiss, Ted, and Boy—played by freshmen Oliver Hoffman and Nicholas Meighen and sophomore Ren Milos, respectively—to protect the magical substance “starstuff.” Meanwhile, Lord Lenard Aster, played by junior Zanden Forbord, harbors a decoy crate on The Wasp that looks identical to the one with starstuff. When the power-hungry pirate Black Stache, played by senior Morgan Lum, comes in search of starstuff, it is up to Molly and her orphan pals to protect the precious substance.

Much to the surprise of audience members, Peter and the Starcatcher featured prominent musical numbers, a rare occurrence for a straight play. Act two began with Mermaid Outta Me, a seemingly out-of-the-blue dreamy dance sequence. Senior Renee Hary, who played Mrs. Bumbrake, explained that the number was “so funny because it was so unexpected and out of pocket.” While Mermaid Outta Me was a fan favorite, Hoffman regards Coming Down the Mountain as the most formidable song in the play. Coordinating entrances, exits, and movements across the stage proved difficult, yet rewarding, as Hoffman remarked: “it was pretty hard to get all that stuff down, but satisfying to pull it off correctly.”

Throughout dress and tech rehearsals, junior Lee Cummings, who played Bill Slank and Fighting Prawn, shared a special ritual with Hary and junior Kora Olivo. In their dressing room, the three would sing along to Zack’s Academy vocal warmups on YouTube before each show. In reference to Zack, Cummings lovingly proclaimed, “He’s my G.O.A.T.” These warmup videos prepared the trio, along with the rest of the cast, for nights full of on-stage adventure.  

Even though the play is over, many of the cast’s shared jokes are still fresh. The cat stuffed animal prop, which the cast affectionately named “Puss-Puss,” became the quasi-mascot for Peter and the Starcatcher and now sits in Hary’s room. Hary explained, “I have a bunch of Hello Kitties on my bed, and [Puss-Puss] is in the center of all the Hello Kitties like the King.” During the show, Hary and Puss-Puss were a dynamic duo. Between throwing Puss-Puss around and playing with him between scenes, the two were practically inseparable in rehearsals.

For those who missed the play or who want to see another production, LGHS Drama will put on its spring musical, Hadestown, in late March. Actors auditioned for the show earlier this week, and rehearsals will begin after Winter Break. With Peter and the Starcatcher down and Hadestown fast-approaching, the LGHS Drama department is in full swing.