Fans of Kirkwood theater were delighted over the past weekend by the opening of the spring play, “Lost Girl.” The cast and crew, who have been working on the production since the beginning of February, ran their first show on Thursday, March 30.
Though severe weather and subsequent school cancellations prevented the performance on Friday, the show still carried on the rest of the weekend, until closing the curtain on Sunday.
Among theater-goers was Dylan Whitlock, a freshman this year at Kirkwood. Whitlock attended the show with her mother and sister, expressed her enjoyment of the production, detailing that “the emotion that the actors portrayed and the specific lighting choices were really memorable.”
As the name implies, the play is inspired by the classic Peter Pan tale, with the story taking place several years after Wendy Darling returned home from Neverland. However, the mood of “Lost Girl” is far different from the lighthearted Disney film.
Audiences follow Wendy, now grown up and suffering from a depression since her departure from Peter Pan and Neverland, who attempts to find closure by seeking out Peter Pan himself, and reclaiming the kiss she gave to him years ago.
The show is very grounded, and rather than evoking a sense of childlike wonder and whimsy, as does the original tale, “Lost Girl” instead dives into more serious, ‘adult’ emotions, such as heartbreak, regret and learning to let go. Whitlock described her reaction to the play’s somber tone, saying “I was surprised, in a good way.”
Bobbi Scott and Connor Norfleet stepped into the iconic roles of Wendy Darling and Peter Pan, respectively. Norfleet described stepping into the instantly recognizable role, saying “Everyone knows who Peter Pan is, it is really fun … but it has [also] been really challenging.” In regards to getting into character to assume the role, Norfleet said, “relating to Peter had been really interesting, because he is so different than me … but we’re both really adventurous people, we like being spontaneous … it’s just adding in the childlike wonder.”
Scott, in the leading role, was faced with a particularly unique task, as Wendy stays on stage and active for the entirety of the play’s roughly hour and a half runtime. “She really is the driving force of the story,” Scott said in reference to her character. “She goes through every single emotion throughout the show … it’s a lot.”
The challenge of remaining on stage throughout the play’s duration was not lost on Scott, as she described, “I’ve never ever done a show before where I don’t walk off stage … I’m kind of used to being able to look over my script … grab some water…it’s kind of strange to have to be in character throughout the entire duration of the show, but it’s also exciting.”
Scott, Norfleet and other members of the Kirkwood theater department count themselves very lucky to have such dedicated, talented and creative individuals who commit themselves time and time again to the production of shows like “Lost Girl”. They also extend their thanks to the audience members who continue to come out to enjoy the work of the cast and creative team, and whose support allows for the theater department to live and thrive.
For those who are interested in hearing what is to come next from Kirkwood theater, the 2023-24 season is expected to be announced on April 28.
Staff Writer
Categories: Art & Life, Theatre
