By McLean Grimes
Executive News Editor
Mira Costa Drama/Tech presented its fall play, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” on Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
There were seven shows held on Nov 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Tickets cost $13 for adults and $11 for students and seniors. During intermission, the Drama/Tech boosters sold a variety of snacks and candy as a fundraiser to support the program.
“My favorite part about the play was the energy in the audience opening night,” said senior Jackson Yollin, who played Peter. “It was so surreal and made all of the hard work feel worth it.”
“Peter and the Starcatcher” is a prequel to the story of “Peter Pan.” It follows an orphan, Peter, who meets a “starcatcher” named Molly on a ship called “The Neverland.” The play follows Peter’s story to becoming Peter Pan.
“I love how absolutely fun to perform this play is,” said senior Ava Ford, who played Molly. “It’s so hard for me to not burst out in laughter onstage because all my cast mates make the funniest and smartest choices.”
The lead cast was composed of seniors Ford, who played Molly; Yollin, who played Peter; Luke Fraunces, who played Black Stache; and Junior Chloe Estrin, who played Smee. According to Ford, she identified with her character, making her performance come naturally.
“I played the role of Molly,” said Ford. “I loved playing her because I really relate to Molly’s character, so all the lines and choices I made just spilled out of me.”
The production was student-produced, with lighting, stage, and a hair and makeup crew composed of Tech members. There was also a student band, including senior percussionist William Glavin and junior keyboardist and conductor Vita Minn.
“It was a lot of long hours, but it was all worth it in the end to see the cast, crew, and production team’s efforts be appreciated in the end,” said senior light board operator Kelly Berman. “This show in particular was very intricate, so each run through we did during tech week was crucial.”
To prepare, the cast started rehearsing in early September. Rehearsals were conducted everyday from 3:30 to 6 p.m. and would run until 10 p.m. during tech week, which occurred the week before opening night. According to Ford, she also spent a lot of time outside of rehearsals learning her lines and going over blocking.
“I had over 200 lines, which was a lot to memorize in a short time,” said Ford. “I was also in the thick of college applications and schoolwork, so that became very overwhelming.”
According to Yollin, the play was successful and the cast made new artistic discoveries to help elevate its future performances. The Spring musical will be “Footloose” and will open on April 26.
“When I came out on stage for the first time opening night, it was like nothing I’ve ever felt before,” said Yollin. “All of the nerves went away, and I felt immense pride and happiness for me and my cast members.”
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