They can fly

Peter Pan takes to the air in Whitefish

When Rachel Burke was designing the set for the upcoming Whitefish Theatre Company production of Peter Pan, she knew she had to keep it simple.

She didnt want to lose the impact of the elaborate costumes against a busy background. The 30-plus cast members require space to move around the OShaughnessy Center stage during the big musical production numbers.

And most important, the actors need room to fly.

Peter Pan, which opens Friday, Dec. 5, is believed to be the first flying theater production staged in the Flathead Valley, with Las Vegas company ZFX Flying Effects rigging up the OShaughnessy Center so the actors playing Peter, Wendy, John and Michael can go airborne.

Peter first meets the Darling children after he lands in their nursery. He then convinces Wendy Darling and her brothers to fly away with him to Neverland, where there are no adult rules and where children never grow up.

Director Jessie Culp said that flying is so intrinsic to the story that theater organizers didnt want to stage the show without it, despite the expense and the challenges involved.

Because of the expectations, its hard to do anything less than doing the flying, Culp said. When you read the script and its says children fly, theres no way around it.

ZFX specializes in creating theatrical flying for companies around the world, bringing in the rigging and the harnesses and giving the actors instruction in the art of flying. The ZFX Web site says the company has flown thousands of productions of Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz and Beauty and the Beast, offering time-tested packages for the theatrical classics.

Melanie Jerger, a 21-year-old cosmetology student from Kalispell, only expected to end up in a supporting role when she went to tryouts on a whim.

And now that shes cast as Peter, Jerger said shell be talking, singing, fighting and flying at the same time in certain points.

She said she was excited and a bit nervous when she heard at the first rehearsal that the actors would get to fly.

But, she said, the people at ZFX have been communicative and helpful in keeping her calm.

The flying people have called numerous times to tell us, Its going to be easy, its going to be fun, we have nothing to worry about, she said.

In a visual show that already requires serious attention to detail, the flying added one more twist for production manager Porro, who had to allow for slits in the back and extra room in the costumes to accommodate the harnesses of those who will be flying.

Porro and Sherron Donovan began working on costumes in August, creating around 40 original designs, including the childrens dog Nana, the crocodile, and some colorful, oversized animals for Neverland.

The giant crocodile head alone is a work of art, built of papier mache by Kalispells Nancy Roberts. Roberts is one of the 20 costume-department volunteers making the pageantry of Peter Pan possible.

Costumes such as the black-and-white feathered ostrich costume not only require a group effort, but a little structural creativity, Porro said. The tall ostrich neck rests on the shoulders of actor Emily Mohler, then a steel rod is fitted specifically to run down Mohlers back to keep the costume stable.

Its been a little bit of a challenge, Porro, who has been in her position with Whitefish Theatre Company for six years, said about the animal characters. Its required some engineering, as opposed to making clothes that just fit on people.

The people in the cast are well-outfitted, too, from the flamboyant pirate costume for Captain Hook to the ragged threads of the Lost Boys. It took a bit of work to make the Lost Boys outfits look as if they were tacked together out of animal skins or shredded bark.

The details of the show will challenge Porro up to opening night, with a long list of concerns that include devising a way to attach acorns to Peters costume, making a pouch for glitter and fitting the wigs for each actor.

Professional seamstresses as well as those who cant sew a stitch have pitched in to set the scene for Peter Pan, with women showing up to help for three or four hours a day for the past three weeks, Porro said. Plus there are many who take work home with them.

Theres no way we can do anything of this magnitude without the number of volunteers who give so much of their time, Porro said. Its pretty amazing what people will do.

There are about 70 volunteers contributing to the production, including 10 who will be working solely on the flying aspects. The were trained in one intense weekend session with ZFX, and then left on their own.

Even with volunteers operating most of it, the flying is seriously increasing production costs. But the big-spectacle Christmas shows at the OShaugnessy usually pack the house, so Whitefish Theatre Company took the risk.

It is expensive, but its a decision we made early on, to decide to fly, Porro said. Its important to the integrity of the show to do it.

Peter Pan runs Dec. 5 through 21 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the OShaughnessy Center in Whitefish.

Evening shows are at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 with reserved seating.Sunday shows on Dec. 7, 14 and 21 are at 4 p.m. with reserved seating.Three Saturday matinees on Dec. 6, 13, and 20 are at 2 p.m. and are general admission.

Reserved tickets are $20 for adults or $16 for students and seniors. General admission tickets are $16 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.

Tickets are available by calling the Whitefish Theatre Company box office at 862-5371. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before a performance.

For more information, visit www.whitefishtheatreco.org.

Reporter Heidi Gaiser may be reached at 758-4431 or by e-mail at hgaiser@dailyinterlake.com