Nov. 7 to Nov. 9, Parkway West’s theater department traveled through the life of Wendy Darling, in their newest production. “Lost Girl,” chosen for the department’s annual fall play. A reimagining of the Peter Pan story, this play goes through life after Neverland and the struggles of growing up. The play explores themes including growth, love and identity, making it a relevant piece for many high school students. 

Since August, all members of the theater program, students and teachers alike, worked tirelessly to curate and perfect the first performance of the year. 

“We usually start with a general interest meeting during the first week of school to announce opportunities for Mainstage Productions, Improv Team and LSPN. Auditions usually happen two to three months before a show takes place. The packets with information go out a week before the auditions, laying out the process. The audition usually takes two to four days, depending on the type of show that we are putting on,” theater assistant and math teacher Patrick Mooney said. 

As the school year goes on, the accompanying workload for those involved in the production increases. The week before a production, also known as tech week, is an intensive period involving cast and crew members. 

“[Tech week requires ] a lot of effort and hours. Usually, we have [rehearsal] Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday right after school, [and] we’ll be here until 8 p.m. working on the show. Sometimes we’ll do a full run of the show, [eat] dinner and [do] another full run. That can really depend on the show, where we are and what we need,” cast member and senior Ashby Gragg said. 

As a senior, Gragg has been a part of many productions during her high school career, allowing her to specialize in different aspects. Gragg has had both a backstage technical role and, for “Lost Girl,” an onstage role as Wendy’s mother. These different experiences have given Gragg new perspectives that allow her to further develop her craft. 

“If you think of [a performance] like a house, [technical crew members] are the foundations, and the actors are the painting on the walls and [finishing touches]. We all bring it together because you would not be able to put on a show if you didn’t have tech. [Being on the technical crew] was a really different experience, [and] it gave me a lot more appreciation [for crew members] and has reminded me to give a lot more grace,” Gragg said. 

The unity between cast and crew is essential, especially when taking the stage multiple nights in a row. With a performance for a middle school audience on Thursday and the official opening night on Friday, those involved in “Lost Girl” had to perform four nights in a row. 

“[Show night is] often a relief. If we’ve done our job, [the audience will] see a professional production from the kids and accolades from the patrons afterward. Theater is such a multifaceted discipline that requires all sorts of skills that anyone could find a place in,” Mooney said.

From freshmen who are just starting their theater experience with this first performance to seniors who just took one of their final bows, even with the curtain closed, the bond between cast and crew members is not one that will be forgotten. Junior Joseph McCurdy played Peter Pan in this production. After meeting high school performers while he was in middle school, McCurdy has been involved in the high school theater program since his freshman year. 

“[A huge part of my experience] is definitely the people. It’s the best community of people that I have ever been a part of. Everyone is super nice and understanding, and it’s an absolute pleasure to be in the theater. [One thing about our program] more people should know [is] just how accessible it is. We really are open to anyone and everyone,” McCurdy said.