Rider’s ‘Lost girl’ dazzles audience members

By Stacie Hueter

The Rider University’s theater department brought award-winning playwright Kimberly Belflower’s, “Lost Girl,” to life on the Yvonne Theater stage this past weekend. With shows running Oct. 11 through 12, I had the pleasure of attending the first evening showing.

I am a big fan of retellings and continuations of beloved stories. When I initially saw that Rider’s theater department was putting on a production that is a continuation of the classic story of Peter Pan, one in which Wendy Darling, played by senior acting for film, television and theatre major Ava Hojnowski, grows up obsessing over Peter Pan, played by senior musical theatre major Peyton DiVirgilio, well into her teenage years, I became interested and was determined to see the show. It was my first exposure to the play, Belflower’s writing and my first Rider acting production. 

After viewing the show, I can proudly attest that some of the production’s best aspects were the actors’ performances and usage of movement throughout the stage

Brandon Semmel, a senior acting for film, television and theatre major who played the conceited “Lost Boy” named Slightly, described his experience behind the scenes, saying, “Reading it was confusing to all of us … but we were able to really put together something right.”

This play was nothing like I had ever seen before; it simply featured one set, Wendy’s bedroom with her iconic solarium window where she and Pan first met. However, the actors had to utilize the whole space of the stage in order to create the illusion of different places. 

I also enjoyed the lighthearted humor of the Lost Boy’s scenes with Wendy. The actors shared great chemistry with one another, and their poking fun of Darling’s persevering obsession with Neverland and Pan still, despite being all grown up made for some great comedic moments.

Though, I also liked the slower, more emotional moments his character shared with Wendy. In this story, Slightly is in love with Wendy and desperately attempts to demonstrate his affections for her 

throughout the 90-minute show. His ultimate separation from Wendy was heart wrenching and left the girl questioning her actions by the end. His character compliments her character arc well. 

The ensemble of “The Lost Girls” were another commendable and crucial part of the play, as I believed they served as effective muses who conveyed Darling’s turbulent feelings throughout the play. The trio had great projection and effectively utilized the whole stage to portray these larger-than-life feelings of Darling’s.

Hojnowski had masterful usage of projection combined with the vocal technique that best portray Darling’s anguished state in the story. The play can be interpreted as a tragedy of Darling following her visit to Neverland.

The technical special effects used in the production enhanced the audience’s immersion into the story. Dazzling stage effects such as snowfall and greeting cards “falling” from the top of the stage bolstered the viewing experience. 

Sophomore arts and entertainment industries management major Lara Denges, who was a member of the production’s stage crew serving as a props runner, stated that the hardest part of the technical aspects was “making sure everything was where it was supposed to be by the end of the night.”

And despite all of the intricate elements, the final product was a magical, wonderful piece of theater brought to life by the diligent cast, crew, designers and the marvelous direction of Stan Cahill.

Fellow audience member, senior acting for film, television and theatre major Chloé Le Breton, auditioned for the show and read the script beforehand. “I was excited to see the difference of it being performed on stage … it’s really cool,” she commented. 

Belflower’s “Lost Girl” explores the power of a good adaptation and positively challenges the actors to pour everything into their performances. I believe Rider’s acting students shined onstage with their vigor and dedication, bringing this fairytale-esque play to life.

Stacie Hueter is a freshman journalism major