What We've Been Up to: Peter Pan

Somehow this one photo sums up the sweet charm of the evening.

Becky's girls love theatre, and they dreamed up this production of Peter Pan.  They wrote the script, based upon the book.  They cast the show with all their homeschool friends and directed it. With the help of their mother, some theater friends, and another girl who is clever with a sewing needle, they costumed their characters.  The kids, with guidance from Becky and the other moms, directed and staged the show.  The end result was really cute. 

In fact, I must clarify that I did not really do a thing to help this production, except print out scripts, help the girls find costume pieces from their own closets, and drive them to Becky's and then sit and hang out with the other moms during rehearsal.  That last part was brutal, let me tell you:

Here's Becky's mom's barn one such beautiful afternoon, that first week of April.  Becky laid out a blanket for us to sit in there in the shade, and even brought us dark chocolate and strawberries.  My friends Laura and Heather sitting there--just two of the group of moms involved who are some of the most wonderful women. I'm telling you, rehearsals were hard work.  ; )

But, really, for Becky they were!  She not only helped her girls with the production aspects, but she also sat in the barn with the kids and helped give them a stable presence when they were having some conflicts.  She even had to nail down a new floor for the barn before the production!  And this was all going on in one of her busy times too. And she never complained.  Not even to me.  She really showed a beautiful, strong support for her kids (and our kids too), and not only will they likely remember this experience forever, but they already have another Red Barn Theatre production in the works!

The same setting, the night of the show.

 

The photos I took really cannot capture the charm of the whole production, so I'll only post one. Look, a swordfight!  Take that!  Swish, clang. Argghh! 

The cast party afterwards.  I realized later I had managed to get all my kids into one candid shot.  Smiley, helping himself to the desserts.  Happy as Tinkerbelle.  Sunny as Peter Pan.  Merry as Tiger Lily.  They were all perfectly cast, and did wonderfully in their roles. In their own unique ways.

And then after this, Becky's girls dressed up Smiley in the Captain Hook costume, and I think the effect is rather classic:

Grrrr. I'm Captin Hook. See, a hook. Grrr.

With my sword I can reach things I can't otherwise, like that light. That's what makes me a pirate.  We do bad things like touch lights with swords.  

No touching the light?  Arggghhhh. 

Actually, I can't remember why he was making that face--I think he was being in Captain Hook character.  But it cracks me up.  Oh, poor widdle baby Hook.  That mean old Peter Pan foiled your plan again, huh?  I think I know a pirate who can use a  hug!