LIHU‘E — Take a close look at the set of the Hawai‘i Children’s Theatre’s production of “Peter Pan” and you may find Captain Hook’s pirate ship is actually made from your old bedroom furniture. Or that the drapes in the
LIHU‘E — Take a close look at the set of the Hawai‘i Children’s Theatre’s production of “Peter Pan” and you may find Captain Hook’s pirate ship is actually made from your old bedroom furniture.
Or that the drapes in the Darling nursery match the leftover fabric from an old upholstery project.
In fact, the entire set of “Peter Pan” is comprised of a hodgepodge of thrift-store finds and donated goods, including old baby cribs, headboards, doors, leftover paint and a discarded boat mast.
Ron Horoshko of HCT predicts 90 percent of the musical’s set is made from recycled or secondhand materials. Even the warehouse space to build the set was donated by the owner of Starr Business Center.
But secondhand doesn’t mean second-rate.
“It’s all about the kids and bringing this fantasy to life,” Horoshko said.
With rigged flying, elaborate costumes and an extensive hand-built set, Horoshko bets that “Peter Pan” might be the company’s biggest production to date.
Touring the Lihu‘e warehouse where the set was built, Horoshko points out individual details that makes the Victorian-style backdrop come to life. In the Darling’s nursery, hand-painted scenes from popular fairy tales and faux flower wallpaper adorn the walls. Captain’s Hook’s pirate ship has a sweeping staircase that leads to an upper deck, draped with skulls to ward off unwelcome visitors. Tinker Bell’s house sits on top of a custom-made dresser, which is designed to light up when the fairy is home.
Horoshko began dreaming up the set of “Peter Pan” more than a year ago. Every day for the past four months, Horoshko and his crew of volunteers have worked diligently to collect materials and construct the set, which consists of a Victorian-style nursery, a towering pirate ship, a mermaid’s cove, a row boat and other scenes.
To find materials for the set, Horoshko would visit local thrift shops and pick through their inventory, filling his truck with secondhand goods.
“I went with Ron to a thrift store, and he started snatching up what looked like all this junk,” said Sheila Harlin, a volunteer who helped build the set. “But when I came in to see what he did with that set, I was amazed.”
One of the most awe-inspiring pieces is Captain Hook’s pirate ship, which was partially built from second-hand baby cribs, bedroom furniture and spare doors. The structure is entirely on wheels, which makes the vessel easy to move.
“Everyone thinks our sets are professionally done,” said Horoshko. “They’re not. We’re just creative.”
So far, the set’s most expensive item is its walls, which cost $300.
While the construction of the set is a huge undertaking, Horoshko and his volunteers are incredibly modest, crediting the help and donations of others as their catalyst to success.
“We’re like a spider web,” said Dubonnet Moseley, a board member and the set’s main artist. “We’re all connected, and we can’t do one thing without the other. If they didn’t build beautiful things, I couldn’t paint beautiful things.”
Moseley’s goal was to bring “an old-world feel” to Kaua‘i,” and when the curtains open her goal is to hear the audience in awe.
The crew’s youngest volunteer is 12-year-old Sam Goldberg, who Horoshko took on as his apprentice. Goldberg has spent the past two months building props and painting the set.
While many of Goldberg’s friends have acted on stage, the seventh-grader was more interested in what happened backstage.
“I always liked to build stuff, and I’ve always been building things around the house,” Goldberg said. “It’s been really fun, and I’ve learned a lot about painting.”
Other volunteers include Laura Stewart, Holly Rudinoff, Steve Soltysik, Steve Whitney and David Griffith. Local businesses, organizations and individuals donating to the production include Lani and Boyd Upholstery, Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store, the Ho‘omana Wailua River thrift store, Kaua‘i Freight, Lihu‘e A’s senior softball team, Whiskers Resort, Robb Wall, Karen Agudong, Kukui‘ula Development and Grove Farm.
In the spirit of recycling, once the production is done, portions of the set will be donated to local organizations, including the Lights on Rice Parade.
The musical debuts Nov. 12 at 7 p.m., and will run for three weekends at the Lihu‘e Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall, closing Nov. 28. Tickets are $10 to $12, and children 3 and under are free. Tickets are available at Borders Books and Music in Lihu‘e, Kalaheo Coffee Company, Progressive Expressions in Koloa, Papaya’s Natural Foods and Larry’s Music in Kapa‘a, North Shore Pharmacy in Kilauea, Harvest Market in Hanalei, and at the door.
• Andrea Frainier, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or afrainier@thegardenisland.com.
