Emma Jones, who will play the title character Peter Pan in the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School Drama Club’s production that begins Saturday night on the Rochester campus, has taken the act out of acting and put in into self-actualization.
“I was not a very confident person as a kid, so when I started doing this it kind of gave me confidence in a sense, and on top of that it fueled my absolute love for Broadway and musical theater and all that. I kind of feel like it came hand in hand,” said Jones, who is playing a lead character for the first time.
As the flying character, the 16-year-old sophomore from Rochester is not afraid to wing it.
“It helped that I have a great co-lead (14-year-old freshman Megan Correia of Freetown plays Wendy Darling). We work really well off of each other,” said Jones, who admits to lingering opening-night jitters. “It’s still that feeling of pure anxiety beforehand. Last year we had a little bit of a fumble where I had a scene with one other person here and… he forgot his line completely so I just had to come up with something.”
Jones performed in two shows in junior high school and one prior show at Old Colony.
The famous play by James Matthew Barrie (aka “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” and “Peter and Wendy”) received a new take from director Megan Pierce in her second show as director at Old Colony. Last year she directed The Jungle Book.
Pierce’s version of Peter Pan will follows the Darling children as they travel to Neverland, and learn to fly and engage in daring sword fights.
Jonah Duke, a 15-year-old sophomore from Mattapoisett, plays John Napoleon Darling.
“I’ve been villians – last year, I was the main villian. Back in eighth grade it was Snow White and I was Prince Charming. It’s a bit to manage, but you get by,” said Duke, who was part of Old Colony’s robotics team (he writes computer code).
Duke does not know what career he will pursue, but he has an impressive start on some options.
“Some of my dreams is electrical engineer and another big thing I’ve been thinking about is history teacher. I could see myself going into either of those,” said Duke, who enjoys the personalities involved. “You’re not putting you out there. It’s more getting into a role. It’s becoming something that I am not always… It’s a challenge and it’s fun to do. It’s interesting, I love it.”
Duke’s father John Duke, a home farmer who used to be an electrician, helped staging the sets. “I always tell everybody my dad’s a worm farmer… he composts and then distributes to other farms,” said Jonah Duke.
In addition to a literal family presence, Jones says the sense of family in the cast and production team extends beyond the theater.
“Most of my friends are here so it’s one of those things where we’re close here, we’re close there, it doesn’t really matter,” said Jones. “And on top of that we do stuff throughout the summer like little parties and get-togethers.”
Jones dreams of someday playing a part in Beetlejuice.
“Anything in musical theater I would love to do,” she said.
Alec Taylor, a 15-year-old sophomore from Rochester, plays Michael Darling, and the cast is rounded out by Faryn Leverone as Captain Hook, with supporting actors Noah Lapointe, Annabella Adams, Antonio Aguiar, Jacob Andrews, Rylie England, Owen Flynn, Isabella Lapointe, Kara Leblanc, Steven Morrison, Haley Pierce, Lucas Preston, and Lillian Tripp.
Anna Kippenberger is the stage manager supported by an eclectic crew comprised of Chloe Weber on costume design, Mya Teixeira on set design, Malloy Logan choreographing fight scenes, and Alaysha Mendes as cast supervisor.
Performances will be held Saturday, March 7, at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:00) and Sunday, March 8, at 2:00 pm (doors open at 1:00). Tickets can be purchased at the door, $10 for general public and $5 for students.
Old Colony Drama Club
By Mick Colageo