Peter and the Starcatcher

Welcome to LeedsCenterfortheArts!

Welcome back to Leeds Center for the Arts! We are delighted to have you here for our production of Peter and the Starcatcher.

How many times as adults have we wished to go back to our childhood? A time when everything was easier, and we saw the world with wide eyed wonder and innocence. For Peter, it is just the opposite. As an orphan abused by adults, he longs for nothing more than a home and the innocence of boyhood. But, what does he give up to achieve his true wish to never grow up- the beauty as well as the pain of responsibilities, love, and family? Journey with us into a world filled with pirates, captains, starcatchers and two trunks, one filled with a magic that can make you who you truly are, whether that is good or evil.

This show has been an absolute joy to produce! The actors have given so much of themselves to create this fast paced adventure. They, along with our Creative Team have taken our wonderful Director’s concepts and made them a reality. I would also like to thank our community of volunteers. Without them we would be lost.

As an organization, we continue to strive to engage and inspire through passion and collaboration to bring great art to Clark County and the region. You have already done your part by joining us on this magical journey, and hope you will continue to play a role as an audience member, donor, or sponsor in 2023 and beyond!

Tracey Miller Producer Winchester Council for the Arts

Loma's at the Winchester Opera House

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Stock Yards Bank

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Mar. 18, 2023

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March 30, 2023

Little Women: The Musical

May 5-7 & 12-14, 2023

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June 5-17, 2023

TheKentuckyArtsCouncil,thestatearts agency,providesAmericanRescuePlan fundstoWinchesterCouncilfortheArts withfederalfundingfromthe NationalEndowmentfortheArts

Leedsisfundedinpartbya grantfromSouthArtsin partnershipwiththeNational EndowmentfortheArts.

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SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION SPARK

Our brand new arts education program is LIVE! Check out our current offerings in music, acting, and dance!

Spring SPARK Showcase will be March 30th!

YOUTH BOARD

The Leeds Youth Advisory Board consists of highly motivated high school leaders from the greater Winchester area. It meets biweekly to work on arts-based projects, strengthen leadership skills through seminars, and enhance the greater community through enrichment opportunities.

Visit our website for more information.

SCHOLARSHIPS

We work hard to make the arts accessible for all, and want to give youth the tools they need to succeed in arts- based higher education and careers.

We offer two scholarship funds: The Gordon Liddle Fund for private arts instruction, and the Vanessa Rogers Fund for higher arts education.

Visit our website for more information.

Cast:

Boy / Peter............................................................................................................Kieshaun Butts

Molly.........................................................................................................................Elena Guerra

Black Stache........................................................................................................Forrest Loeffler

Prentiss........................................................................................................................Jacob Ernst

Ted.......................................................................................................................Tommy Flanigan

Smee......................................................................................................................Jackson Becker

Slank..................................................................................................................Jesse Hungerford

Alf / Teacher.....................................................................................................J. Morgan Shaffo

Lord Aster.........................................................................................................Patrick Lee Lucas

Mrs. Bumbrake..........................................................................Rusty Reichenbach Cavendish

Sanchez / Black Stache Understudy.....................................................................Russell Day

Fighting Prawn / Grempkin...................................................................Trent Conboy-Holden

Hawking Clam...................................................................................................Joseph Landfield

Mac..........................................................................................................................Cricket Brown

Captain Scott...................................................................................................................CJ Knorr

Pirate / Boy Understudy...................................................................................Malachi Bullock

Pirate / Prentiss Understudy.....................................................................................David Lin

Pirate / Ted Understudy..........................................................................................Kody White

Pirate / Molly Understudy.........................................................................Adrien Osborn Kell

Understudies do not perform unless announced.

There will be a 15 minute intermission between acts.

Photography or videography of today's performance is strictly prohibited.

Please note that flashing lights will be used in today's performance.

Creative Team:

Director...................................................................................................................Esther Neel

Producer................................................................................................................Tracey Miller

Stage Management..............................................................................................Emma Erwin

Music Direction.............................................................................................Kelli Jo Summers

Fight Choreography.............................................................................................Nick Vannoy

Lighting Design...................................................................................................Becki Tonges

Sound Design.......................................................................Terry Estes, Adam Schoedinger

Costume Design.......................................................................Mary Kate Knight, Ellie Miller

Scenic Design............................................. Esther Neel, James Miller, Lawrence Buckland

Scenic Painter.........................................................................................................Esther Neel

Fight Captain.................................................................................................Jesse Hungerford

Speciality Prop Design.......................................................................................Brian Elligson

Dialect Coaching....................................................................................................Patti Heying

Production Photography.................................................................................Sally Horowitz

Headshot Photography...................................................................Homestead Studios LLC

Special Thanks: Kelly Hutchens, Jackson Becker, Tommy Flanigan, Jacob Ernst, Kieshaun Butts, Nathan Smith, Mason Rhodus, Bart and Ron Conboy-Holden, The Holt Family, Shaquita Brown, Elizabeth Lin, Woodford Theatre, Pam Gullick, Ruth Blevins

A note from the director...

Peter and the Starcatcher is everything I love about theatre all wrapped up in a two-hour production. It is movement-based, world-building, ensemble-driven, and most importantly imaginative storytelling. It is a show that asks you to remember the feeling of being a young person.

As a young person, what was most important to you? What did you care about? How did you embrace play?

In this production, we fully embraced the concept of play. The world is a giant blanket fort with a clubhouse built inside. We are using everyday toys and dress-up clothes to create our world as we find ways to incorporate familiar childhood games into unexpected circumstances. This cast explored the fun of play as we learned how many different things a jump rope could be used for and how can you make a crocodile out of things you could find in your backyard.

While the story of Peter and the Starcatcher is filled with fun and games it also reflects the difficulties of being a young person. This show tackles the challenges of forming relationships. It explores the journey of creating safe spaces. And in the end, it shines a light on the challenge of losing the ones you love and how to continue to move on and live out your story after those you love have gone a different direction in life.

No matter your age I invite you to take the next couple of hours and embrace your inner young person. Let yourself live in a world where it's ok not to be a grown-up, where pirates roam free, mermaids are created with a little bit of magic, and young people (and big people alike) are empowered to create their own stories.

Esther Neel Director Peter and the Starcatcher

Meet the Cast

Jackson Becker - Smee

Jackson Becker is so thrilled to return to the Leeds Center for the Arts stage in this production. His previous credits include: Uncle Fester (The Addams Family: The Musical), Charlie (You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown), Professor Willard (Our Town). When he isn’t on the stage, Jackson loves spending time with his family, friends, and his two cats Mateo and Matilda! He also wants to thank Elena Guerra for everything she does :)!

Cricket Brown - Mac

Cricket is thrilled to be returning to the Leeds stage once again! Cricket is a Sophomore at Western Hills High School. Some of their favorite past performances include The Addams Family (Cheerleader Addams), Matilda ( Big Kid/Ensemble), 13 (Malcolm), and James and the Giant Peach (Dance Ensemble). This past summer they got to participate in recording a choreography DVD with MTI in New York! They are planning on doing anything in the arts when they grow up. They hope that you enjoy the show!

Malachi Bullock - Pirate / Peter US

I am 19 years old and a full time barista and coffee roaster! I have been acting since I was young and I love getting to be creative on stage! This is my first show at Leeds and I am loving it so far!

Kieshaun Butts - Boy / Peter

“One may stray from the path of a man, one may stray from the path of a woman, but there is no straying from the path of a human!”

Rusty Reichenbach Cavendish

Dr. Rusty acted and directed with Richmond Area Theatre and Rose Barn Theatre for 25 years. This is his third production with Leeds. As playwright Richard Cavendish, he won first place for full length play in the Roots of the Bluegrass New Play Festival 2022. His book is available “The Botanic Garden & My Old Kentucky Plays.”

Trent Conboy - Holden - Fighting Prawn / Grempkin

Trent is excited to do another show with Leeds and hopes you enjoy the performance.

Russell "Russ" Day - Sanchez / Black Stache US

Russ attended Eastern Kentucky University as an English Education Major, as well as a member of the Alpha Psi Omega Theatre fraternity. He’s been acting on Leeds’ stage since 2015, and has appeared in shows such as Anne of Green Gables; Into the Woods; and Crimes of the Heart Russ is always happy to be on Leeds’ stage; his “home away from home.”

Jacob is an actor from Lexington who is finishing up his degree at UK this year. He is a proud Lafayette-SCAPA and GSA Drama alum. This is his first official production with Leeds although he was an understudy for Addams Family and teaches a class with Spark. Former credits include Nathan Detroit (Guys and Dolls), Mr Banks (Mary Poppins), Sam (Grace) and many others including Peter in Peter and the Starcatcher in his first play in high school. He is beyond ecstatic to be returning to this script (one of his all time favorites) as Prentiss along with his best friends. Jacob would like to dedicate this performance to the only real life Starcatcher Ihes ever met- whose talent, guidance, dedication, and most importantly kindness when he was a scared freshman doing this show for the first time is the reason he’s still acting today.

Jacob Ernst - Prentiss

Tommy Flanigan is whatever you imagine him to be, and is happy he landed a spot in his second production at Leeds! Tommy aspires to be a pirate on the high-seas. However until then Tommy is using his artistic ability to grow the community around him.

Elena Guerra is a theatre graduate of the University of Kentucky where you may have seen her as Annabel in Bike America Her most recent credits are Grandma in The Addams Family with Leeds Center for the Arts, Emily Webb in Our Town with Leeds Center for the Arts, and Shelby (U/S) in Steel Magnolias with AthensWest Theatre. Elena has felt infinitely grateful to share the stage with some of her closest friends and such an extraordinary cast. She gives a special shout-out to her students and Early Elementary teaching team for making this quote so significant. “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star stuff We are a way for the universe to know itself.”

Jesse is very excited to be back on the Leeds stage and working with this wonderful cast! Previous shows include: The Addams Family: The Musical, Twelfth Night, The Complete Works: Abridged, Laramie Project, History Boys, Lord of the Flies, Romeo and Juliet, and Dog Sees God. Enjoy the show!

CJ is very excited to return to Leeds and be part of Peter and The Starcatcher. He was previously in their summer production of The Addams Family where he played Lucas. CJ is originally from Hackettstown, NJ and got his B.F.A in Acting at Arcadia University. During his time at school he performed in his school's productions of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as Leaf and In The Cotton as Michael. He has also done multiple virtual productions for The AlphaNYC Company. CJ would like to thank his friends and family for everything, especially his parents for helping him throughout his journey as well as his girlfriend Rachel for always supporting him throughout the years.

Tommy Flanigan - Ted

Elena Guerra - Molly

Jesse Hungerford - Slank

CJ Knorr - Captain Scott

David Lin is thrilled to be back at Leeds! The 11th grader from Lexington was last seen in Disney’s Newsies, Jr as Jack Kelly. David participates in the Bluegrass United Homeschool Community in academics, soccer, and performing arts. His favorite roles are Les in Newsies with The LEXington Theatre Company, James in James and the Giant Peach, Maxwell Smart in Get Smart, Jack in Into the Woods, Albert in Bye Bye Birdie, Joe in Schoolhouse Rock, Live!, Sheldon in Junie B. Jones, and Edmund in The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe. David plays violin in the CKYO Symphony Orchestra and holds 15 fiddle championships including the

2022 KY State Junior Championship and the National Jr Jr Fiddle Champion Runner-Up. When David is not performing, he enjoys drawing, songwriting, and going on outings with his scout troop.

Joseph Landfield, who prefers to go by the name “Jojo”, is really just happy to be here. This is his first time in a Leeds production, and is having a blast working with all these wonderful people. Jojo is very experienced at playing antagonistic sidekicks, as seen in his role as Hawking Clam, and his previous roles in other productions that include Smee in Peter/Wendy, LeFou in Beauty And The Beast, and Dormouse in Alice in Wonderland Jojo will be serving as an understudy for Alf, so if you see him playing Alf, that means something went wrong. Despite

being an unfamiliar, jarring, hideous, and outright scary addition to the cast, he hopes you enjoy the production and would like to return to Leeds in the future. TTFN.

Forrest is entirely untrammeled to be making his 4th voyage to Mollusk Island and to get to share this wonderful story with everybody here. His most recent Production of PATS was on the Woodford Theatre Stage, and most recently you may have seen him in Woodford's Little Shop of Horrors as Orin Scrivello D.D.S. He has worked with various companies in the central Kentucky area including Studio Players, AthensWest, Pioneer Playhouse, The REP, and a smattering of others. Thank you so much to the fantastic team here at Leeds Center for the Arts, and to all of you for making this show possible. And thanks to my parents who have seen this show probably more times than they like; it's my favorite and you are too!

Patrick Lee Lucas has acted, sung, and danced in Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio. Favorite roles include: Music Man (Harold Hill), Hello, Dolly! (Cornelius Hackl), A Christmas Story, The Musical (The Old Man), Big Fish (Edward Bloom), Mary Poppins (Mr. Banks), Hairspray (Wilbur), Children of Eden (Adam), and A Little Night Music (Frederick). Seek the starstuff and be who you want to be!

Joseph Landfield - Hawking Clam

Forrest Loeffler - Black Stache

Patrick Lee Lucas - Lord Aster

Adrien Osborn Kell - Pirate / Molly US

Adrien is a young actress and student at Tates Creek High School. She has been in various in school productions including Fuller Farewell and Christmas Carol for Tates Creek as well as taken theatre electives for three years in school. She has also worked with Jessamine Arts for the production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This is her first production with Leeds.

J. Morgan Shaffo - Alf

/ Teacher

J. Morgan Shaffo is tickled pink to be making her Leeds debut! She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from WKU and spent her time after college performing regionally in interesting places from New York to Amish Country. Some of her favorite roles include Roz in 9 to 5, Mazeppa in Gypsy (McLeod Summer Playhouse), Ensemble in Les Mis (Flat Rock Playhouse) and Hen in Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type (Old Creamery Theatre). Covid gave her the opportunity to make a major career change and she is now a Casting Director (ok... Hiring Manager lol) for Kroger. She is so excited to be back on stage after three years away! She'd like to thank her family for their support in all her adventures, Lusie&Sam&Josey for accepting all her FaceTime calls, and Esther for inviting her to come play with this amazing crew of pirates!

Kody White - Pirate / Ted US

Kody White is excited to perform in his first Leeds Center for the Arts production! Kody is excited to share this hilarious and moving show and hopes you enjoy it as much as he does.

Esther Neel - Director

Esther Neel is a freelance theatre artist in Lexington, KY. She has worked with Lexington Children's Theatre, Jessamine County Arts, and UK Opera, to name a few. Some of her favorite shows she has directed include: Holes, Student Body, Charlotte’s Web, and Sleepy Hollow She is thrilled to be a part of the creative process at Leeds!