Video: 'Peter Pan' Flies Across Gorton Community Center's Stage This Weekend

The Performing Arts Summer Theatre Academy or P.A.S.T.A. will showcase the play, "Peter Pan", this weekend with two performances Saturday (July 9) and Sunday (July 10) at the in Lake Forest.

Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch visited the rehearsals recently as the casts practiced using the harnesses to simulate the flying scenes in the play.

Have you ever done this play?

Never done this play. We knew last summer we were going to do it. My intention was we had to make Peter fly.

My wife and I went up to southern Wisconsin and saw a production up there. And that’s when I saw who the flying company was. I contacted them. was instrumental because I didn’t speak their lingo. I didn’t know what they were asking of me, so he was great to step in and help us out.

How did the you and kids react to the initial flying practices?

Never having done it before, I was nervous about it. Once the flying company came in and hung all the rigging and one of their crew got in a harness and showed us how it works, it was like, ‘This is going to be so cool.’ I was really happy we did this. And the kids are super excited.

Dave Miller said the same stagehands will be operating the harnesses with the same kids in each case. How much does that help?

There is a trust there. Even though we doublecast the show, you have to have that trust so when they go out there flying, they know who is handling them.

Because we don’t have any fly space, it turns out the flying company said this is a lot easier to choreograph because there is nowhere to go.

Just being able to do it is great. I’m glad we did it.

The casts are as follows for each day:

July 9 (10 a.m.) and July 10 (1 p.m.)

John:  Connor Hayes

Michael:  Oliver Pasquesi

Wendy:  Ellie Annibali

Nana:  Aubry Moehlenpah

Mrs. Darling:  Emily Lacey

Mr. Darling:  Daniel Kuperman

Liza:  Brooke MacDougal

Peter Pan:  Grace Scheidler

Tinkerbell:  Lorelei Duelli

Shadow:  Amelia Warwick

Lost Boys:

Slightly:  Katie Barth

Tootles:  Sam Pasquesi

Curly: Lily Laufenberg

Nibs:  Olivia Elsasser

Twin Harry:  Abby Rappin

Twin Larry:  Caroline Hayes

Dodger:  Kirsty Graham

Mudpie: Hayley Ward

Pirates:

Captain Hook:  Claire Jessen

Starkey:  Ashwin Krishnaswamy

Smee:  Leah Kuperman

Jukes:  Sophia Varones

Moonshine:  Amelia Warwick

Cecco:  Oliver Pasquesi

Skylights:  Cooper Sampson

Alf Mason:  Kiera Burns

Chay:  Pauline Droege

Tattoo Bill:  Christian Weissman

Noodler:  Bianca DiVito

Neverland Indians:

Lean Wolf:  Anna Fifhause

Little Panther:  Ursula Nugent

Laughing Bear: Brian Sullivan

Tiger Lily:  Kate Grieve

Mermaids:

Pearl:  Grace Duggan

Starfish:  Michaela DiVito

Coral:  Priya Krishnaswamy

Mishell:  Susanna Noble

Marina:  Skyler Oldenberg

Crocodile:  Natalie Logue

July 9 (1 p.m.) and July 10 (10 a.m.)

John:  Christian Weissman

Michael:  Kiera Burns

Wendy:  Grace Duggan

Nana:  Aubry Moehlenpah

Mrs. Darling:  Priya Krishnaswamy

Mr. Darling:  Daniel Kuperman

Liza:  Anna Fifhause

Peter Pan:  Hayley Ward

Tinkerbell:  Amelia Warwick

Shadow:  Ellie Annibali

Lost Boys:

Slightly:  Natalie Logue

Tootles:  Susanna Noble

Curly: Eva Hanson

Nibs:  Michaela DiVito

Twin Larry:  Pauline Droege

Twin Harry:  Bianca DiVito

Dodger:  Ashwin Krishnaswamy

Mudpie: Claire Jessen

Pirates:

Captain Hook:  Kirsty Graham

Starkey:  Brian Sullivan

Smee:  Daniel Kuperman

Jukes:  Sam Pasquesi

Moonshine:  Emily Lacey

Cecco:  Oliver Pasquesi

Skylights:  Ursula Nugent

Alf Mason:  Olivia Elsasser

Chay:  Abby Rappin

Tattoo Bill:  Connor Hayes

Noodler:  Caroline Hayes

Neverland Indians:

Lean Wolf:  Cooper Sampson

Little Panther:  Lily Laufenberg

Laughing Bear: Katie Barth 

Tiger Lily:  Sophia Varones

Mermaids:

Pearl:  Grace Scheidler

Starfish:  Lorelie Duelli

Coral:  Kate Grieve

Mishell:  Leah Kuperman

Marina:  Skyler Oldenberg

Crocodile:  Brooke MacDougal