Steps To The Stage
Steps To The Stage
Neverland, Built From Blocks And Light
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What if Neverland isn’t a place you fly to but a world you build together? We’re pulling back the curtain on our reimagined Peter Pan Jr., where the nursery anchors reality and the stage reshapes itself with moving blocks into forests, ships, and hideaways. That design choice isn’t just clever staging; it’s a manifesto about how play transforms what we see and how young actors can hold a complex story with honesty and joy.
We dive into the heart of the concept by turning light and shadow into living forces. Tinker Bell appears as pure light with a musical voice, while the crocodile becomes a shadow presence—time, fear, and consequence embodied—linked to both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook, played by the same actor. This lens lets us find layers in every role: Hook as more than a villain, Peter as a charming whirlwind who can also be selfish, Wendy as the spine that learns to lead. The result is a children’s theater production that treats kids as artists and the audience as smart partners in the story.
Our creative team is a mentorship story in motion. Former students now lead choreography, music, art design, costumes, lights, and sound, guiding a cast of 30 young performers with care and high standards. You’ll hear how we direct without micromanaging, why confidence is a daily choice, and how tiny details—clock numerals stitched into Hook’s coat, twig toothbrushes and bark slippers for the lost boys—help actors discover behavior and make scenes breathe. We also honor the founders whose educational vision still fuels everything we do.
If you love theater that balances clarity with risk, tradition with fresh craft, and spectacle with soul, this conversation will light you up. Join us to celebrate five years of growth, 25,000 downloads across 79 countries, and a community that keeps lifting each other higher. Subscribe, share this with a theater friend, and leave a quick review to help more people find the show—then tell us: which character’s arc surprised you most?
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Milestone Open And Mentorship Roots
SPEAKER_02Peter, if we're being honest, is really a jerk.
SPEAKER_00Welcome to Steps to the Stage, a 7th Street community theater podcast. Welcome to Steps to the Stage, where we talk to the community theater professionals you know and love. This is an extremely, extremely, extremely exciting episode for me. My name's Kirk. I'm your host because with us we have Marcy, who has been a host of many, many, many, many, many episodes of this wonderful podcast since we started. And then we have Donna back with us, who is actually on one of our very first, if not the first, episode, talking about putting a production together and directing. So here we are, five years later. We're coming up on 25,000 downloads, you guys. 25,000 downloads. We have been heard in 79 different countries and a couple thousand different cities. And then I don't know if you saw the recent post, but we just got ranked number five in theater podcasts in California. And we got ranked number 17 in arts podcasts, overall arts podcasts, number 17. So we went from, hey, let's do this tiny little podcast to talk about community theater and putting a production together. Really, ultimately, this whole thing started because of Joey. Right. Because Joey needed to learn audio. And I said, Well, as odd as it may sound, seeing it is going to help you to understand it. And so here we are now, and we're talking about Peter Pan Jr. Yeah, we are. We have Donna, our director, and we have Marcy, our assistant director. Welcome back.
SPEAKER_02Well, it's great to be back. It's great to be back, Kirk.
SPEAKER_00I um I just it's been amazing again over these last five years. Um, it's a little longer, obviously, that I've been exposed to the theater world, but um, I just have to say before we get started, what I've loved about this process is the amazing friends that we've been able to make. Yeah, right. Um, we get to create art and do these beautiful things. And apologies to all of our listeners that were having a little moment before we talk about this. But I think it's important because the community and community theater is the people, and it's the people that we get to meet along the way, along these journeys that we're out there and expressing ourselves. And many of these people, if you're open, can be lifelong friends. And I consider you two to be lifelong friends. Amen. So, and it's just amazing, not only personally, but obviously for my family. So and the impact. So I'm just gonna say that, and this is for everyone to hear because I want you to think about and reflect about those people that were your mentors, those people that were the ones that helped you see that moment where you could express yourself. And um, and especially for, you know, when we have dark times to have art to be able to consume to keep us whole as people, uh is just an amazing opportunity. And again, it all comes from the people.
From Barry To Broadway: Why Peter Pan
SPEAKER_02So yeah. And always, you know, in those hard times, that is the time when art explodes, art elevates, it takes come takes on a new level, an expansion. It's always exciting. But before we move off of the mentoring thing, you need to ring a bell. Yes. Because you mentioned Joe. And so that start here, and it speaks to exactly what you were just talking about. You know, he started working sound with you. Yeah. You guys created steps to the stage together. You reached out to Marcy and said, Hey, come along because you'd be an amazing host, and you have been. Um, but Joe now is his, you know, field is film production, which is the audio and visual engineering of that film, and that comes directly out of this work here, where he was specifically mentored under you, right, Kirk. So, and that's where he is right now. So we'll always be very grateful to you for those foundations you've given him. And that's why he's not here all the time doing the engineering of this anymore, because he's off-building that expanded world right now.
SPEAKER_00It's uh the the opportunity for us in whatever field, and and you know, as you know, my wife's a teacher. We can't go anywhere in this community without um, you know, some child or family that she's impacted coming up for sure, you know, big hugs, and you just see that immediate, like you know they made an impact. Yeah. And for years I coached, and I'll go into a restaurant and I'll hear coach. Like, I haven't coached in 10 years, but they still refer to me stays with you. And just to see those interactions. Sorry, one final thing that was just brilliant talking about the arts. There was um uh an individual who we'd met through choir. Uh, you know, Abby was involved in the choir.
SPEAKER_02And in today's, and Marcy and Joe, all in the same choir.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes. Uh so this other individual, musician, he and I started playing together in my music room, right? And it'd been a couple years since I'd seen him, and we went to go eat at the restaurant just down the street here from from the um from the theater, and and the hostess says, Oh, our our musician's gonna be back shortly. And I'm like, Oh, cool, good. We get to have a great meal and we get to listen to live music. And sure enough, it's our friend that I had, you know, played with and he played the entire time, and I went up to say hello and just the you know, face lighting up and going, You're the first person I jammed with. You're the reason that I'm I'm playing today. And you get those moments.
SPEAKER_02That's good stuff.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's really good stuff. So here's a great segue into Peter Pan for you, talking about this very thing, because it was super intentional for me in the crafting of my team and how we're doing this. You know, one, we're doing the show for little ones, so those are the actors, but I've got this team of creatives whom with whom I'm working who are all like my former students who are now adults doing the thing right now. And I can't tell you what a joy it is for me to sit back and have this experience with Marcy on this show. We also have Maya Mansoor as our choreographer and Aaron as our music director and Aaron Horner as our choreographer. And um, also Natalia Elizalde and Jack Malo, who are doing art design for the set, also former students who are just killing it, and Lily Elizalde, who's come in to join costuming. So these are, I mean, it's just you can't as kids.
The Nursery World And Shape-Shifting Sets
SPEAKER_00And now they're guiding that next.
SPEAKER_02They absolutely are, and they are the leaders of this next iteration. So that for me is the gold out of this this whole experience that's happening. So that takes us to Peter Pan, Peter Mike.
SPEAKER_00Peter Pan Jr., right? Yeah, Peter Pan Jr. on the j uh uh Jamberry 1904 correct. And um and and you know, obviously a beloved um play, it's been presented in so many different ways.
SPEAKER_02It's a story. It's a story, exactly. And it was actually a play first, not everybody knows that it was a play, and then the novel came, and then the musical after that. So that's the journey, but it started as a play.
SPEAKER_00So you how do you take this work that has been around for over a century, well over a century, has been adapted and shown in so many different manners. You bringing it to our stage. So I'd love to know what goes into that.
SPEAKER_02So let's talk a little bit about this vision because you know, I do love to tell a story that is literary-based. Marcy knows that uh so often. What's Miss Donna's play gonna be? It's gonna be, you know, and of Green Gables, it's gonna be something that comes out of literature. But how do we do this in our own way? And I think we hit upon it because we really have um taken the approach of Neverland is this world that it's, you know, is it real? Does it live in the imagination? It lives in this nebulous place in between, and it's for the audience to decide. But we set our stage in the anchored world, we set our scene in the anchored world of the nursery, and from there we are using blocks that move and become different set pieces. They reshape to then create all the other worlds that we enter. So it's like it's shifting and shaping as we go. And that's one big approach that we're taking. The other was we're really leaning into this light and shadow thing, which are embodied for us with Tink as light and croc as shadow. And they are out picturings of the journey, the story that everybody's on. So that's what I shared with Marcy early on. And then Marcy, I don't know if you want to jump in.
SPEAKER_01Well, that concept of, you know, sort of the act of play spreading out and sort of taking over and sort of becoming the reality of the show is really what got me interested in working with you on this piece. So I was really excited to do that. And then especially with the light and the shadow and being able to develop that with you has been really rewarding.
SPEAKER_00I want to hear more about the light and the shadow. Is there, can you give something up for us to understand, or is it more of the concept, or how is that being?
Light And Shadow As Living Characters
SPEAKER_02I mean, it's super if we go, it's like really union if we're going to the shadow self and the light self, and there's that face that we share with the world, and there's the inner working, and they are both whole and complete parts of ourselves, right? And we need to be mindful of them as we go out into the world. There's no way we can't get rid of our shadow selves. We can't, you know, hide the light. That is there, they are always present. And so we are bringing them forward in conscious ways through the embodiment of these figures and leaning deep into the portrayals of each of these characters who are not like Hook is not just evil and dark. Hook has layers to him, right? And Peter, if we're being honest, is really a jerk. He has written, this is a jerky punk little pre-adolescent kid, right? But he's also gotta be lovable, and our wonderful actor Luca embodies this charm and sweetness. So you love this little turd of a guy, right? You know, so that's it, you know, Tink is as written by Jam Barry, is just a light, is a light. And uh we have a figure who is moving, holding that light. Okay, and um with the sound that we have that is Tink's, you know, music as she moves forward. So, but we've then what we have with Tink, we wanted to embody Kroc in the same way. Right. So Kroc is not the green crocodile with the big snout, but is this shadowy figure with a little clock that is part of the underside of Hook and also of Mr. Darling, because Hook and Mr. Darling are played by the same actor, and we have a lot of those doubles throughout our show.
SPEAKER_00So this is a junior, so what is junior?
SPEAKER_02What is your level, uh your actors' age is we go from age six through uh eighth grade. No, seven through seventh grade, I'm sorry. Because Lost Girl with whom you just talked, they did eight through twelve, and we did sort of first grade through seventh grade. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And how many are in the cast? Thirty. Thirty. And is it a single cast or is it an a cast or it is a single cast? Wow. That's uh quite the cast to and but you're pros, both of you. And so I want to know how are they pushing along the light in the dark?
SPEAKER_02Do they understand or are they I mean So here's the thing, and I so I want to say this about children's theater, because people assume a lot of things about children's theater that it's all about the kids just walking on the stage looking cute, and mom and dad are there and they're gonna cheer for them no matter what. I hold up these actors to any troupe, anywhere. They're they're human beings with depths of understanding and real lived experiences that they they bring. Yes, do they have moms and dads and families who are on their side and want to come see them and celebrate them? Absolutely, which means you always have a packed house. So that's that's a great thing. But these actors I hold side by side with any of our actors in the adult world, in the adult arena, and in some ways outstripping and out picturing, there are kids who are just exceptional. Absolutely.
Working With Young Actors’ Depth
SPEAKER_00Donna, I I Marcy, give me some of your insight into that. But I I want to talk about um before we go into that, you we've mentioned the Lost Girl, and I just had the opportunity to speak with them. And um I literally essentially stopped mid-interview and didn't even stop, just had to say, I have to tell you how just duly impressed I am with your ability to communicate to me what you what you think about this character and your role in what you're doing. And I I looked at and and I said, shame on me for not having a better open expectation for these amazing humans that can do incredible things. I myself went, oh, they're gonna look cute in their costumes. No, they went to a depth that honestly I haven't quite heard before, right? And it speaks exactly to what you're saying, Donna, and it it it gives me incredible hope on a lot of different levels, especially as we spoke so much about those that we've seen starting at that age and now directing and doing the things that they're doing. But Marcy, tell us more about your experience with this cast and how because you're that you were just there not too long ago.
SPEAKER_02So and expressing all of those depths, Marcy is one of the premier performers that I've ever worked with, and I'm always felt oh, absolutely, always just magnetic and dynamic and extraordinary on the stage. Oh wow. So go ahead.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I've been, as you just said, I have been working with Donna for many, many years now, mostly with her as a director and me on stage. But it was a couple years ago that we did Alice in Wonderland together with several different directors and student directors and assistant directors, and then being able to come back to you now after having directed my own show, sort of coming into my own as an adult. I think you specifically said to me, like, I would love to work with you, but not as teacher student, but as two sort of equals together. And that really made my heart soar. And I'm very, very happy to be able to be with you on that level now.
SPEAKER_02And and beyond deserved. And I learned so much from you also and what you bring to the table. I love your insights, your well, what about here? And how about this? And well, don't we want to bring it back? Absolutely. It's been a lovely partnership, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow. When I say that Marcy is an exceptional performer with a deep understanding, I'm not just blowing smoke because she's sitting here and a lover, but it's it's an absolute truth. And um, so grateful for this opportunity to interact.
SPEAKER_00We've witnessed it on the college stage uh on a production that we were able to see you in. So you you're not gonna get any pushback from me on that. So I would love, though, your experience thus far with guiding this group into these um these areas of light and dark.
SPEAKER_01It's been really interesting. I haven't really worked with this younger age range as much. It was mostly with you on Alice in Wonderland again. So it's been good to sort of come back to that and like you said, understand that there is absolutely a depth to these performers and to these people that even I have at times underestimated, and I am, you know, a little ashamed of that, to be quite honest. But it is, as you said, it is a learning experience, and I'm absolutely taking and soaking up all I can, and I'm very grateful for it.
SPEAKER_00That is fantastic. So let's hear about some of the other team and maybe a little bit into costuming, audio, lighting, staging.
Assistant Director Marcy Steps Forward
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So one of the things we do really well in children's theater, and certainly in this children's theater, is that collaboration and you know, there's a place for everybody to come in and shine. And I know as an educator, and uh you've often in the professional world been a you know team leader and what your job is not to use the word direct, it's not to direct everybody, and by that I mean not to tell everybody what to do, but to create space, right? And to collaborate and allow people's creativity to come forward. So, case in point, we have um Amanda Myers and Debbie Horner who are collaborating on the costuming and Lilli Elizaldi coming in and supporting them as well. These are exceptional creatives in their own right. Now, if I sat down and I said to them, No, I need this, and this is what this needs to look like, and this is what this needs, I gave the general vision. We talked over the light and shadow and run, run, create. What we are getting back. I mean, Marcy and I are blown away by these costumes that they are bringing. Like, come on, with and the thinking behind them to the little details are amazing.
SPEAKER_01Talk about the the um clock um on with both with both hook and I think the crock that he has put on the little buttons, the stripes of his coat. He's put the little like number dials of each hour of the clock and have incorporated those into that's incredible. Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we have concept after concept after concept like that that is coming from that creative team, right? And then there's also the people who hold space for the production, our producers, where we have Elizabeth Cisneros and Stacey Colby who are uh double teaming on that producing, and they're also producing Lost Girl at the same time. So, holy cow, but you know, keeping everything organized, keeping bringing in all the people to do, you know, decorate the lobby and do the refreshments and do the novelties, all with holding space with the vision that we have. So that's part of what makes this whole thing fly. Yeah. The collaborators and Brian Goe doing the stage management, my uh our stage design and my um husband Bill supporting him on that, you know, helping uh the next uh group come up. And uh, Brian, my goodness, the designs that he's put together. We have our stage manager is uh Nico Agar's, who's in Lost Girls, who's also stage managing for us. But because the requirement is that you have to be over 18 to be in the shop, as you know, and our our backstage is a shop. Everyone listening, the shop and backstage are one and the same. So um, to be there to be in charge, you have to be over 18. Nico was not. Um, we his dad, Mark, had an interest in learning, and we said, Hey, Nico, would you be willing to train your dad? And dad, would you be willing to be trained by Nico? So they're they're coming in together as the duo stage managers on this. So, I mean, just a name after name that I messed that these are all people who are working together on the shared vision, as well as the 30 actors and the text behind the scenes. And we've got Sid Burr, who's also in um Lost Girl, who was doing our light design, and Sophie Colby, who's in Lost Girl, who's doing our sound design, lots of crossover and collaboration.
Costumes, Clocks, And Clever Details
SPEAKER_00And and it's uh a couple things that I'd like to talk about. I mean, one, because I bring it up all the time and I think it's important, but community in community theater. And you just mentioned several of, you know, we talk about here our our breakfast brunch guys, you know. You mentioned several of those that we meet and and you know, you know, a little bit of solving the world's problems, but just talking about the upcoming productions and you know, knowing that Bill did so much of that in and now AJ and now Brian, and and you know, now you're I know Cheryl has done a lot of producing, and now you have a lot more of these other people that are coming on board, but then that you have we have kids that are actors and stage managers and actors and sound design and actors and doing all of these other things, and then under the leadership of you two and and what it sounds like and what I know is that you have a vision and you have a direction, and you're giving them that, but you're not micromanaging through the process.
SPEAKER_02You can't because you kill creativity when you do that. And yet, as a director, then you you also have to come in and you have to clean up, you have to let's get back in this direction, maybe you have to hold that space, but as soon as You start feeding the lines, right? You start micromanaging any of it and trying to control all of that, you it becomes a wah wah wah wah wah performance. It's you you kill it all. The magic happens when you are the wind beneath people's wings.
SPEAKER_00I mean, really, like that's what you gotta do. The collective energy of bringing it all together and then also them feeling a part of it, ownership of it, right?
SPEAKER_02It rises you up.
SPEAKER_00Marcy. So much. I mean, we've been through so much and so many different levels, and um, from you know, you being in productions with my kids and in superstars, and then you know, hosting so much and now directing your own things, like just I I want to hear more about where you're at with that and just that how that's filling you inside. I mean, has to feel amazing.
SPEAKER_01It I again, I really enjoy being on this side of the table, as it were, working, sort of working with the actors in a in that instructorial sense words.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, no, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I I really enjoy it, and I'm really glad that it's something that I get to do and that I get to do it in this place.
Crew, Producers, And Cross-Show Collaboration
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So, and the thing about Marcy, you have just such um the a creative, fertile mind, so constantly thinking. So, I'll tell you about we sat down one day to kind of just make an assessment of props, right? And what do we need? And I'm looking pretty straightforward. And Marcy, who'd already been through everything with a fine-tooth comb, has this vision that's taking it all to the next, the next level. Like the lost boys need uh little accoutrements in their space, and when they go off to go live with the darlings, as in this version, they do at the end. They're gonna be adopted. All of the lost boys are going to be adopted by the darlings. Right. Um, and they just had, you know, little blankies and toothbrushes and things with them. And Marcy's vision is okay, well, these are things that they've crafted, right? So there's gonna be little slippers made out of bark, and there's going to be a twig that is the toothbrush, and there's and um you're really taking ownership of that vision of those particular things and the poison that Hook uses and what that poison is like. So um, yeah, that's I'm Marcy's not ringing her own bell right now, but I want I want to ring the bell for her because that's one of the the great thing about this collaboration is there's an endless source of stuff happening up there. I'm pointing to my noggin right now because that's Marcy's expansive creative life and world. There's an there are endless things to draw on. So anything that I need to figure out or I'm stuck on or whatever, and just a little combo with this one, and then it happens.
SPEAKER_00That's amazing. Well, I'm not surprised by any of this. Um, and it's great to to not only um hear the collaboration, but just see it and see it in the reaction sitting across from you two and and knowing that um you complement each other so well and and especially providing the vision to that those that are on the team, whether they're actors or in other roles. And and again, it goes back to that community theater. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02Can I can I say one thing about that too? I know you're probably wrapping up here, and let me just finish up this this one thing that then just there is the place that the director needs to hold for that for everybody to be able to do that with confidence is for to sit yourself in confidence. And it's okay to say, you know, I don't know the answer to that one, but I'm gonna think about that. I'm gonna get back to you. That's that's an absolute, but to stand firmly in that space, yeah, um, which requires leaping in to your own choices with I don't know that this is gonna work great or not, but my instincts are, my experience tells me we're gonna try it this way, and we'll see what happens, and be willing to let it go and know that you've got all these collaborators who it's it's going to be beyond anything, even I envisioned. I've learned through my many years of doing this and my many years of life that confidence is a choice. It is not a thing that just happens. One chooses confidence. And when one chooses confidence, one then can act accordingly.
Directing Without Micromanaging
SPEAKER_00Well stated. And when they get great examples of confidence, they are less likely to be timid to try that. So I love that the both of you are giving that example of confidence in yourselves, in the vision of what you're trying to do, and especially for this theater and community theater in general. So is there anyone else you want to mention or anything else that you think is important that our audience knows about before they rush and buy tickets to come and see this amazing production?
SPEAKER_02And and do rush and get your tickets as soon as you can, because this being a cast of 30 and young children will sell out and it will sell out fast. Yeah. So that is that is absolutely the case. Um, I we would be remiss anytime we're doing anything here at this theater if I didn't mention the fabulous and wonderful Paul and Karen Larson, who are at the heart of everything. We are an educational theater. We are all about lifting others up. We are not about just cute kids walking across the stage in their little costumes and having their two minutes, right? We are about real acting, real performances, depth of performances, dynamic things happening, and that all comes directly from the foundation set by Karen and Paul Larson, who um, you know, did this very thing in starting it, collaborating, working on, and putting the wind beneath all of our wings and saying, fly, my darlings, and still their support is here, and you know, they are a part of things, but living their own lives, and that's how this works. That's how a community theater like our children's theater works because of that constant flow, that constant flow, and it starts from Paul and Kieran. So shout out and much love to our founders.
Confidence As A Choice
SPEAKER_00Amazing. And and I think that is just an amazing, amazing description of those beautiful people that have just created all of this. Marcy, any last statements? Um thank you for having us, right? Oh, it's absolutely our pleasure. Everyone, Peter Pan Jr. is going to be in our stage uh March 13th through the 28th, and it's going to follow immediately after Lost Girl. Correct. Yep. Um, we're gonna have 10 shows in total, three weekends, uh, 7 p.m. start for the evening shows, 2 30 p.m. start for the matinees, and then there is actually a Thursday show on the 26th. So as Donna mentioned, if you're local and you want to come and see this production, get your tickets now. You can call our box office at 909-590-1149, or you can visit us at chinochildrenstheater.org. Also, you can follow our socials and they all have links to the various ways of getting tickets. So we would love for you to come and support this. If you're not local and you love community theater, reach out to us. Tell us about your productions in your hometowns. Tell us about our podcast and what you think about it. Are we doing a good job? Are you getting a good feel for what it's like in the west coast of the beautiful town of Chino and the productions we're putting on? By the numbers, it sounds like there's a lot of people out there. We want to hear from you. So please like, review, send us a message. We want to hear about you. Come and see Peter Pan Jr. immediately following Lost Girl. Support Live Theater. Thank you, Donna. Thank you, Marcy, for your time. But more importantly, thank you for being wonderful human beings on this crazy, crazy, crazy planet.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. Thank you.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for listening to Steps to the Stage, a 7th Street Community Theater podcast. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review and a five-star rating. It really helps. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Special thanks to Chino Community Theater and Chino Community Children's Theater for their generous support. And very special thank you to the listeners. Step to the stage was created by Joey Rice and Kirk Lane. Logo created by Marley Lane. Original music by Joey Rice. Your host, Kirk Lane. Engineer and producer, Joey Rice. Engineer and executive producer, Kirk Lane.
