Pella High School is presenting a play based on the prequel of Peter Pan which tells the story of a young orphan finding himself and becoming Peter. Peter, fellow orphans, and their new friend Molly go on an adventure where they overcome tropical kings and pirates in order to keep a magical treasure box safe and save the world. The play is family friendly and includes humorous dialogue amongst the characters. This show also integrates musical aspects and comical sound effects. 

In the opening scene, characters provide background and details about the storyline. Brief descriptions of the characters and their relationships to one another are given, which helps the audience understand how the characters are connected to the Peter Pan story. 

It’s evident in the beginning, that the play was well cast as each student embodies their character perfectly. One of the cast members, the incredible Lucille Hopkins, plays Molly, a brilliant, very curious, and witty character, and her chemistry with Kolton Messer, as Peter, is unmatched. Throughout the play they build up their characters’ connection and wrap it up with a special scene at the end. Meanwhile, Messer brings his character to life. He portrays Peter as a curious young boy who is constantly getting in trouble.

The props used throughout were very minimalist. They used commonplace items to set the scene, such as ropes as doors and sheets of fabric as the ocean. This show used one background and main structure, so they never varied it up. I prefer having different background sets. I find it more interesting, but using just one background greatly reduced the transition time and made it easier for the crew. I liked how the crew let the audience know when the scene changed by carrying a sign. 

The costumes were well designed and the mermaid tail was exceptional. The show had a lot of pop culture references, which was somewhat surprising. I liked that aspect because it made the play feel more relatable. Ryan Sales did an amazing job at being one of the humorous evil characters by doing silly movements while speaking. 

Overall the play was engaging and the characters played well off each other. The cast has worked so hard, and you can tell how much passion each person has for this show. The sound effects and lighting were awesome from the people in the booth. The crew was wonderful making transitions and helping the show run smoothly. I highly encourage you to watch this remarkable performance!