Peter Pan is Coming

Peter Pan: The Musical comes to Dayton, opening November 15

DAYTON - Next week the Liberty Theater stage will come alive with pirates, fairies, Indians and rag-tag boys who never want to grow up, as the Touchet Valley Arts Council presents its annual fall musical, Peter Pan.

Opening Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m. and running through December 1, this beloved J.M. Barrie tale of the Dar- ling children and their adventures in Neverland with Peter and the Lost Boys is suitable for ages 5 and up.

All seats are $10 on opening night - family night. Tickets range from $12 to $20 for each of the subsequent perfor- mances, which take place at 7 p.m. on November 15, 16, 22, 23, 27 and 30 and at 3 p.m. on November 17, 24, 30 and December 1.

Tickets are available online at libertytheater.org. The Lib- erty staff will also be collecting donations of canned or boxed food in the lobby for the Blue Mountain Community Food Bank from November 15 through December 17.

Fall musicals have been staged at Dayton's Liberty The- ater every year since 2001 following restoration of the theater building. Each production has involved more than 60 cast and crew members devoting more than 4,000 volunteer hours during months of preparation.

This year, more than 36 of the 65 volunteers are younger than 18 and include many youth from communities through- out the Touchet Valley including Dayton, Waitsburg, Prescott and Pomeroy.

Fourteen-year-old Chris Philbrook of Waitsburg plays Peter Pan. He's been involved in the theater's annual musi- cals since he was quite young, having parts in more than six shows.

Playing Peter's nemesis, Captain Hook, is Pastor Jim Edwards of Dayton's First Christian Church. Edwards, who played Franklin D. Roosevelt in last year's production of Annie, will also appear as Mr. Darling, father of the Darling children whom Peter Pan spirits away to Neverland.

"This is my first time as such a colorful character," said Edwards. "It's challenging to be both the dad and Captain Hook."

Also in first-time roles for the Liberty Theater are co- directors Leah Stockton and Kirsten Schober. Stockton is a retired teacher from Dayton High School, where she ran the drama department for many years. Schober, who has been the Liberty Theater manager since April 2011, produced several plays when she worked at Walla Walla High School.

For both women, Peter Pan is their directorial debut at the Liberty Theater. "I've always wanted to do it, and this year I decided to push myself," Schober said.

Stockton assisted director Elizabeth Jagelski with Annie last year and volunteered to join with Schober at the helm when Jagelski stepped down as director this year.

"I am so glad I did," Stockton said. "The children are amazing, Captain Hook is amazing, we're all amazing," she said. "But of course we couldn't be amazing without all the people backstage."

Stockton is referring to volunteers like Joe Huether, Mary Luce, Brian Graham, Jim Thorne, Patti Jo Amerein, and Jagelski who continue to help, as they have for many years, with lights, props, costumes, sets, music, choreography and vocals.

In addition to fall musi- cals, the Touchet Valley Arts Council annually produces the Spring Variety Show, Missoula Children's Theater and other performances such as Nunsense and Steel Magnolias at the Liberty Theater that involve many adult and young community members.

"The Liberty Theater's role is to provide opportuni- ties for all that enrich the community through par- ticipation in theater arts," Huether said. "And it's lots of fun!"