The Fremont High School theatre department invites audiences to Neverland with their upcoming fall play, Peter and the Starcatcher.

“Peter and the Starcatcher is kind of like the prequel to Peter Pan,” director Caitie Hays said. “This show explains how Peter Pan came to be, and how Neverland was created. We also get to explore the world of Blackstache, who later becomes the infamous Captain Hook,” Hays said.

Hays will be aided by assistant director and math teacher, Eric Kimberly. Hays and Kimberly have worked together as directors since they both joined FHS 3 years ago.

This family-friendly show has a lot of unique factors. Unlike typical production sets, Hays and Kimberly have collaborated to design a multi-level series of platforms that can act as multiple locations throughout the story.

The minimalist design relies on the use of decorations to set the scene and make the set believable.

Possibly the most exciting factor for both the cast and crew is the use and incorporation of a slide in the set. With the help of industrial technology teacher, Brad Ryun, the slide will be custom created and mounted to the platforms so it can be safely used by all cast members

The fall play, which will be performed on October 1st and 2nd, still faces challenges and lasting effects from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Although masks are no longer required at school, our Thespian leadership board has strongly encouraged our cast and crew to continue wearing masks during rehearsals,” Hays said.

Many students that are involved in the show are also expressing their concerns about the pandemic.

“I think it’s very stressful,” Auggie Frost, a senior in the theatre department, said. “If one person were to test positive, the whole show could be shut down before we even fill their role.”

For Peter and the Starcatcher, publicity is extremely important. Like many clubs and organizations, the FHS theatre department strives to get the word out about its activities.

While they use self-designed posters and radio ads, the best form of publicity is the students themselves.

“We’re hoping for better word of mouth publicity,” Hays said. “Getting the actors and the crew to talk about the show and raise interest in other students would be a huge help for us.”

Along the lines of publicity, Hays talked about her potential plans to travel to other Fremont schools in order to interest younger students in not only this production, but also theatre as a whole.

“Yes, we’re hoping to travel to other schools, I’ve heard some interest but nothing is official,” Hays said. “Even if it were official, I wouldn’t know when or where until a later date.”

“This show is an uplifting, funny story that will be filled with talented actors and an equally talented backstage crew,” Hays said. “We’d love for people to come see our show and give us a chance to make you laugh.”