by Kyle Guess ’26 (who played the role of Peter)

How was Peter and the Starcatcher different than other Belfry shows you have been in? 

Since joining the Upper School Belfry Club in 10th grade, this show was the most traditional. The other two plays I performed in were in the form of a template (Brainstorm), and a vignette show (Almost, Maine), and this was a full script. It was fun getting to flex my acting muscles in this performance. The process of bringing the show together, while long and challenging, felt creative and fun to be a part of.

Was it fun portraying this “other version” of "Peter Pan"?

"Peter Pan" had actually been a childhood favorite of mine, from shows like Jake and the Neverland Pirates, to the original books, to the movies like Peter Pan (2003). The idea of never growing up and having fun being a boy resonated with me a lot. I knew this story could have an impact on others. It gave me a sense of wonder that made the process enjoyable. Connecting with younger students and even my own unexpectedly present inner child helped me embrace and become “Peter”.

What was it like working with the production team?

Mr. Eberlein (Belfry Theatre Director and US Theatre Arts Teacher) was welcomed to GA with the task of taking on a behemoth of a show and making a production in two months! He absolutely made his mark on Belfry early. He brought not only his expertise and tact but also brought an energy that led to the process feeling fun, supportive, and comfortable.

Mrs. Esposito (Middle and Upper School Performing Arts Associate Teacher) wore every hat from assistant director to choreographer to helping advise costume and makeup people, to running ticketing, and still brought more energy than anyone else after a 7-hour school day.

Mr. Timmons (Middle and Upper School Choral Director, Mrs. Bowman (keyboard), and Mr. Leighton (Percussion Teacher and Band Assistant) helped make the show sound pretty, captivating, and entertaining. 

Mr. Moffit (All-School Technical Theatre Director and Production Manager), stage manager Kevin Knebel ’26, and the rest of the tech crew worked wonders backstage to make the show look and sound incredible! Our costume and design team made sure we looked the part and embodied our characters.

Working alongside so many amazing people, each with ideas that inspired the next ones, brought together a show that felt truly magical. I always felt fully supported and thank the whole team that helped make the show.

How did the set inspire you?

The set was introduced as a “playground” that you could play around in. You could see in the final set that there was a working slide and ropes. The set was so much fun to run, jump, and slide down, which made me feel like I was a little kid again. I tried to imagine myself around middle school age, just playing around and creating my own imaginary story, which ended up as Peter and the Starcatcher.

What did you gain from the experience?

I gained a lot of confidence, respect, and lessons from acting throughout this show.

1. How to live in truth: being able to embody the character meant understanding them and living their truth.

2. Notes (notes are guidance on how to improve a performance) are so important: whether from a director, costumer, or even my own notes. They were a reflection point that looked at what could be done better. It made for a better experience that was incredibly helpful as an actor.

3. A chance to be a kid again: getting the opportunity to embrace my inner child and bring him out fully to play a game was really fun.

4. Community: the show isn’t just about the leads. It’s about everyone who is involved in the process, down to the “smallest roles”. Everyone makes a difference. For months, we poured ourselves into creating something special to share with the community, even if only for a few nights on stage.

Do you think you will be going into theater after you graduate?

After I graduate, my current plan is to become an educator for Grades 4-8, which will be my major in college. However, not only do I plan to keep doing productions and acting classes, I also hope to find a way to integrate theater into my teaching to make learning more interactive. For example, maybe I can make history fun with students performing skits instead of just learning from a textbook. And who knows? I’d even love to dabble as a school director and acting teacher as well.