Frederickson Blog

I have always been intrigued by Peter Pan—the boy who never grew up, could fly, and fought the evil Captain Hook. Peter Pan made his first appearance in a novel by J.M. Barrie in 1902. Many adaptations have followed: musicals, plays, films, and novels. Peter and the Starcatcher, based on Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry’s novel, serves as a prequel, explaining how these famous characters began. The style is story theatre, which utilizes minimal sets and props, an ensemble of actors, narrations, music, and your imagination to create each scene—from a shipwreck to a magical island grotto.  

Our production includes wonderful student-musicians who create all the live sound effects and underscoring. Our talented band director, Bryan Botka, leads as conductor/pianist. Theatre is all about collaboration and community, and I’m so thankful for our students, teachers, and administrators who are committed to this program and to growing it.  

The greatest stories share the same epic theme: heroic sacrifice. In this play, Molly and her father, Lord Aster, have committed their lives to protecting “starstuff.” But Molly abandons her important mission to save a new friend, Boy, who then becomes a leader by following her example, setting his interests aside to help her. Why does a tale of selfless sacrifice always resonate so powerfully with us? If you know Jesus, you know the answer. Our Savior heroically laid down His life for us and calls us to do the same for each other. In 1 John 3:16, we read, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” More powerful even than “starstuff” is His eternal love. Let that be our example and the story we constantly tell.