PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

Camp Hill High School (2022)

A Note From The Director

When I was a boy, I thought I was Peter Pan. I wore his famous green hat with the red feather day and night, whilst fighting pirates with my invisible friend, Smee. So it was only natural for me to gravitate towards the story of Peter and the Starcatcher. At first glance, this story may seem like angsty teen fan fiction, but under the surface lies a whole cavern of themes that connect us all to one unifying word: Home.

Beginning the process of directing this play, I forced myself to define that word, home, in the context of the play, our students, and our community. It wasn’t until a student off-handedly said to me, “I love this place so much, Mr. Josh. If you didn’t lock the doors, I would just live here and never leave,” It was then I realized my answer. For myself and many of our high school and middle school students, theater is our home.

The idea of theater as a home fit in perfectly with the show. In fact, Peter and the Starcatcher often plays on the concept of theater, asking the audience to acknowledge the literal workings of the stage and believe in the powerful magic of words emoted by its actors. The play asks us to suspend our disbelief of the ordinary and to use our imagination to create the extraordinary. Thus in designing this play, I wanted to include the familiar props, costumes, and backstage equipment one might find in a theater and use them in imaginative ways to create everything from the docks of London to the various cabins on a ship. So I gathered up all of our ropes, ladders, and crates and we began experimenting as a cast with how to bring this play to life.

I won’t lie and claim every element of this show is original. We did borrow some ideas from the 2012 Tony Award winning Broadway production (a steamer basket bra? How could we not!). Even with nods to the original production, I wanted our production to be different and unique to us. Drawn to the wood pallet or rough skid look, we started with one and then screwed 46 more to it to create a massive backdrop. Aptly named, “Skid Row,” inspired the rest of the colors, costumes, and props. Thus from one angle you’ll see a theater exposing its inner workings, but from the other perspective, you are made to believe that you’re now on deck of a fine British frigate.

Peter and the Starcatcher has definitely been a challenging show for all of us. As a play with music, actors that don’t usually do musicals, found themselves now rehearsing harmonies. This show is both physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding for every member of the cast and crew. And for the show to succeed, each actor and actress must work as a team to set the stage for each scene, literally and figuratively. Through frustrations, we found success. And through each other we found a home. While some of us come and go, never to return, theater will always be our home. We thank you for your support and dedication to this theater community and for making this home possible for hundreds of students each year. Thus without further ado, the Camp Hill Drama Department is pleased to present Peter and the Starcatcher as this year’s 2022 Fall Play. We invite you to sit back, relax, and open your imaginations as this talented and skilled group of players take you on a journey to Neverland.

Sincerely,
Josh Miccio
Artistic Director