The boy who lost his shadow. The boy who never grows old. A boy better known as Peter Pan.

On April 6 through April 8, students will be able to re-live their childhood experiences like never before. Palmetto’s own rendition of “Peter Pan” will begin promptly at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium.  The Thespians, Troupe 1298, will take a fanciful  journey through Neverland, play games with the Lost Boys and take on    Captain Hook.

The Drama program hosted open auditions for any student interested in playing a role for the musical. With the date nearing, the actors have begun designing the set, creating costumes and hosting dress rehearsals. The leads in the play are junior Allison Carter as Peter Pan, senior Krysta Garcia as Wendy and senior Jake Barson as Captain Hook.

The troupe has already begun practicing and will begin the dress rehearsals this week; the rehearsals closer to opening night will take place after scheduling has been made.

In order to get into character, each performer prepares in more ways than one. For example, Barson has been watching different movies, like “Peter Pan” and “Hook,” to successfully portray the villainous character, Captain Hook. Carter, on the other hand, has been working out constantly in order to gain strength and motivation for the numerous scenes she has to carry out.

“The workouts will help me have more stamina for the rehearsals,” Carter said. “I’ve also been doing flexibility exercises in my workouts.”

The group intends on having a spectacular show for the students at Palmetto and for those at Palmetto Middle School as well.

“We want to attract the younger audiences as well because it will inspire them,” Carter said. “‘Peter Pan’ is a gateway to do that.”

The whole idea of performing “Peter Pan” came from none other than Drama teacher Elizabeth Silverio. Silverio saw a show at Disney World last year featuring the Disney characters, and of course, Peter Pan was amongst the crowd. At that moment, Silverio knew that “Peter Pan” was exactly what she wanted to do for a performance by Troupe 1298.

“When I saw Peter Pan come out, I got really excited, and I felt like a kid,” Silverio said. “I thought it was time for our audience to feel that way again.”

Silverio also intends on taking her students to Walt Disney World during spring break next week. While the students will participate in various workshops, Silverio hopes that this trip will allow her students to “touch their inner child,” allowing them to perform even better for this specific performance.

The cast and ensemble hopes that their rendition of the play will connect with the audience because they are familiar with the story.

“Everyone loves Disney. It was a big part of my childhood,” senior Krysta Garcia said. “And I think they will be for others.”

The hard work, dedication and excitement shown by the Thespians display the type of show students can expect in April.