With just a little bit of pixie dust, tenth-grader Lillian Castle has been able to soar even higher up into the world of theater. Having been involved in theater since third grade, Castle took a new step in her acting career by co-directing Drama Club’s latest production, “Peter Pan.”
Castle began acting at The Players Theatre and continued on from there, participating in numerous camps such as those hosted by the Florida Studio Theatre (FST).
Theater has captivated Castle for numerous years. She enjoys the idea of being on stage and conveying emotions through acting. “I always loved going to theaters and seeing plays,” Castle said. “I tried it [acting] and I got such a good reaction within me.”
When the director’s position for “Peter Pan” was opened up to sophomore members, Castle expressed interest and took on the role. She, along with twelfth-grader Hannah Andrasi, directed the production. “It was a shared project,” Castle said. “Most of it was done together.”
For Castle, directing the play was a new experience. She described the opportunity as not only interesting, but also very unlike her usual role in theater as an actress. “It’s cool to see the process happen and know that you made that possible… It was nice being on a different side of the stage,” Castle said.
According to Castle, “Peter Pan” was different from most of Drama Club’s other productions. With help from club sponsor and social studies teacher Robin Melton and Drama Club parents, the quality of the production was increased dramatically. More community involvement allowed for the attainment of more elaborate sets, including a flying harness. The club even had an instructor from Illinois come to train the members in the use of the flying apparatus, which was needed for multiple scenes in the production.
Describing “Peter Pan,” Castle said, “There was just so much to it. It was nothing like we’d ever done before… That was the coolest part of it.”
According to Castle, the process of creating the production was memorable. She cites watching eleventh-grader Bailey Macejak, who played Peter Pan, practice the scene where Peter Pan flies. “I walked in and Bailey was in flight,” Castle said. “It was just great to see that everything was happening… Everything was coming together. It was a really happy moment.”