After weeks of auditions, preparation, set building, makeup, costumes, the Tony award-winning play Elice’s “Peter and the Starcatcher” will come to life at Valencia College on Friday, March 31. The Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson novel adaptation “Peter and the Starcatcher” is an interpretive origin story for the character and world of Peter Pan. Tickets are General Admission $12, Student pricing $10.

According to Director John DiDonna, “Peter and the Starcatcher” auditions had a huge turnout with callbacks for 30 people. DiDonna said, “Every one actor we needed, we had three to four other actors.”

In the audition, there was acting, singing, and performing movement group assembly. In the music portion of the audition, Breannah Anderson, Musical Theatre, who plays the character Alf, said, “When you audition, you are crazy and nervous.” Anderson adds that it was very laid back.

Anderson said after the first audition there was a callback which some say is a strong indication that you did not get in, and is for those who conduct the audition to see more of the person perform different characters.

“Our callbacks were very different…very interesting,” Anderson said. “We got random characters and different monologues – we all had no idea what he saw or considered us for.”

Valencia College’s take on “Peter and the Starcatcher”, DiDonna says will make the viewer feel a part of the show. The audience will be standing in the docks in 1885 watching a ragtag group of performers play ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’.

There are a total of fourteen actors and actresses. Including the production team, there are about 40 in total people working on the show.

Valencia Artistic Director DiDonna says, the show has a full team of backstage students that work with designers, and the students will “build it, put it up, help run the show.”

Not only are the students helping the designers to create the props for the stage and actors, but the actors also use their bodies for stage props.

Blake Gatling, Musical Theater, who plays the Teacher and Mrs. Bumbrake, and also previously appeared in Valencia’s “Young Frankenstein”, says “Everybody is a part of everything; walls, doors, and gargoyles.” Gatling explained that there are a lot of layers to playing the character. He says, “Look out for those layers when watching the show and it will be a magical moment.”

After five weeks of rehearsal, there are just a few more days until the first performance of the show opens. The cast and crew met about three-to-four times a week varying in time from three-to-five hours of rehearsal to get ready to put on a great show.

“This is a very ensemble heavy show and everybody needs to be working together all at once.”

Catch “Peter and the Starcatcher” at Black Box Theatre on East Campus at select times beginning March 31. Email boxoffice@valenciacollege.edu for questions, comments or concerns.