Second star on the right

A talented director entertains, a gifted one elevates.

This weekend in a high school theatre that has blown us away more often than we can count, we once again transcended a story we had heard all our lives.

This time Peter Pan and his faithful, naughty sidekick Tinkerbell led us to Neverland, a place at once magical, sinister and real.

Appleton North High School Director Ron Parker challenges his young actors; they spend days researching their characters and discuss staging elements, blocking and script.

This collaboration consistently produces plays both innovative and painstakingly true to their original intent.

Such is the case with the fascinating J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Barrie gave the copyright of Peter Pan to London’s hospital for Sick Children in 1929, confirmed by his will when he died in 1937. This means that for the past 84 years the hospital has received royalties every time anyone, anywhere puts on a production of the play, which includes the sale of Peter Pan books and other products.

Likewise, the cast of Appleton North’s Peter Pan collected money after each show for the Children’s Hospital of the Fox Valley.

The sweet gesture is just one example of how high school theatre can teach students and audience members so much more than elocution and performance techniques.

When everything goes well, everyone — director, actor, crew and audience member, emerges with a clearer understanding of the story, the playwright, the actor and themselves.

Enjoy this clip of the production, put together by former Booster of Lightning Theatre’s Catherine McKenzie.