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Featured Story Journeying to Neverland

Second Star to the Left, and Straight on to 99th Street!

Mother McAuley’s theatre productions have long been known for their professional quality. The space itself lends to this feeling - with a 900-seat auditorium boasting a distinctive thrust stage and state-of-the art lighting and sound equipment, it’s easy to feel awe when walking through its doors. But the real magic is the life brought to the stage by the faculty and students, who have skillfully transported audiences through time and space for more than 60 years.

In the fall of 2024, McAuley produced the classic musical, Peter Pan. With five sold-out performances, the show delighted audiences as they journeyed to Neverland with Peter, Tinkerbell, Wendy, Michael and John. The awe-inspiring and playful moments as Peter and the kids fly across the stage; the twinkling light and bells of Tinkerbell as she flits around the room; the seamless transition from a children’s bedroom in London to a leafy forest in Neverland; the harrowing sword fight between Peter and Captain Hook; the complex music that helps set the tone throughout - all of these pieces worked together to tell the story of magic, courage and friendship. But there is so much more to the story of Peter Pan than what audiences saw on stage. The flawless productions were a product of months of energy, effort, and thoughtful design from our faculty, production staff, and the more than 200 students who participated in the show.

Save the date for our 2025 all-school musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, November 20 - 23!

Magic in the Making

There are so many ways for students to get involved in a production at McAuley. They can perform, play an instrument in the pit orchestra, build the set, manage the sound or lighting, or work on the costumes and makeup design. With this variety, there is really a home for everyone who wants to get involved.

“I was always the stage fright kid,” shares Madison McKatherine ‘25, who was the pit orchestra leader for Peter Pan. “What made me want to get involved [in theatre] was seeing my first McAuley show my freshman year. It was Meet Me in St. Louis, and my jaw was on the floor. I thought, ‘this is so amazing. How do I get into this? I just want to be a part of this so bad.’ And so the next year, my sophomore year, I auditioned for The Little Mermaid and I got in and immediately fell in love with pit.”

Ellie Cavanaugh ‘25, who was the prop master and a member of the build crew, run crew, and fly crew for Peter Pan, had a similar experience. When she started at McAuley, she knew she wanted to be in theatre, but wasn’t sure how. “I was at the club fair and I saw ‘stage crew,’ and thought, that sounds cool. I’ll do that,” Ellie shares. “And I just fell in love with it… I like to be behind the scenes and see how it all works, and help make it work.”

No matter how students become involved, they all leave with a strong sense of community and friendship.

“I wish I got involved earlier,” shares Mikaela Madrangca ‘26, second violin and section leader for the pit orchestra. “I feel like it made me and my friends closer. It’s like your second family because of how much you experience together.”

This sense of community was a priority to the faculty and staff members who led the production. “We have some seniors from the cast, crew, pit and costume crew meet as a leadership team to help spread spirit amongst the company,” director Julie Wogan McKee ‘93 shares. “They help with choosing themes for spirit week; they choose the menus for dinner during tech week; they plan a prayer service for the cast, crew, and orchestra; and they assist with other fun activities. It’s important that all members of the company know that we cannot do the show without them!”

This variety also means there are a lot of moving parts, and they all heavily rely on each other, especially in the case of Peter Pan.

The Power Behind the Pixie Dust

To prepare for the flying scenes, ten performers and the students on fly crew spent three full days of training, going over safety procedures and learning flight choreography with Vertigo Flying. There were two tracks for the flying system: three pendulum ropes used by Wendy, John and Michael, which allowed the three characters to bounce up and down but mostly stay in one place; and a separate track in the front, used by Peter Pan and the maid, Liza, which allowed the characters to move back and forth across the stage.

“The front track was unique because it had multiple parts to it. There was a rope to physically lift the person into the air, but then someone else had the ropes that would move them across the stage,” Ellie explains. “And it was all students who did it. It was all student run.”

“There were multiple people on standby at all times,” she continues. “For example, there was a scene where Michael got tossed in the air between Wendy and John. So it was me and Alice lifting Michael up because it was too heavy for me to do on my own safely. And at the end of the first act, there was a part where they would swing back and forth. There were three people from run crew that came and helped hold the rope down because it was a good minute of them swinging back and forth.”

“This required a lot of trust between the actors and the crew,” Amélie Villaseñor ‘25, who played the titular role of Peter Pan, shares. “Even for my first entrance, we were a team. I was on the pendulum to swing in, and I had to figure out the perfect spot to enter and not run into a set piece.”

“We couldn’t really see when you should enter,” Ellie remembers. “There was a set piece in the way. So I timed the entrance to the music. The orchestra was especially essential for Peter Pan. I don’t think they realized that. I timed all of the tricks to the music. At the beginning, there was a horn that sounded, and when I heard that, I knew it was time for Peter to make an entrance.”

Coordinated Chaos

*Members of the cast learn the fundamentals of sword fighting from Forte Weapons.*

Many of the student performers also attended special fight training sessions with Forte Weapons.

“It was kind of like boot camp,” Amélie says. “Though the fighting seems weird, chaotic and spontaneous, it is very controlled and very specific. That’s a really important part of fighting - if certain things don’t happen, there can be no fight.”

The students learned fundamental stage fight skills: how to fall correctly, the importance of making eye contact before swinging at someone, what to do if something unplanned happens, and how to take care of their weapons. They used real swords - though dull - and their maintenance was part of the training.

There were rehearsals dedicated to choreographing the fight scenes. A full day was devoted to coordinating the complex elements of the final battle, which featured Peter flying into a fight with Captain Hook.

To ensure these scenes were executed safely every time, two students led fight calls before every full run-through of the show, whether a rehearsal or performance. They switched out the sets and walked through every fight science in slow, controlled motion to give the cast a chance to note if something didn’t feel right and adjust, before then running through it again at full speed.

**Dulce Nepomuceno ‘25** (Peter Pan) and **Mia Lausch ‘25** (Captain Hook) begin their major sword fight.

Bringing Tinkerbell to Life

Tinkerbell wasn’t played by a person; the audience had to expend its belief in her as she flitted around the stage as a green light with bells chiming as she spoke. Her validity lies in the successful teamwork and coordination of Addy O’Boyle ‘25, assistant technical director; Brielle McClellan ‘26, pianist; and the performers who shared scenes with her.

*The green light of Tinkerbell can be seen on the cabinet next to Peter as she shows him where to find his shadow.*

Addy and Brielle worked closely together to time their cues for Tinkerbell to talk, to appear in various places around the set, and make her actions and “words” work together seamlessly.

“It was really cool. It was definitely a learning curve, because I love music, but I’m horrible at it,” Addy laughs. “I was just writing in cues for myself and it was a lot of practice… And then [Brielle’s] back was turned to me because she was positioned to see the stage and the conductor, but she couldn’t see me.”

This added another complex layer to Tinkerbell, but through practice, determination and a sharp focus, the two brought this iconic character to life.

“[Addy and Brielle] made Tinkerbell a great scene partner,” Amélie says. Out of any other character on stage, Peter Pan had the most interactions with Tinkerbell, though she also pulls Wendy’s hair - a true moment of teamwork between the crew, pit and performers.

The audience certainly cared for Tinkerbell - when Peter asks them to help Tinkerbell by clapping and showing her that they believe, the auditorium erupted into applause each time.

“I remember talking to my cousins after they saw the show and they were so excited to see Tinkerbell flying around,” Addy remembers. “It was definitely such a cool experience to have.”

Providing the Soundtrack

The music in Peter Pan is complex and moving, setting the tone of the story from start to finish. The score was skillfully produced by dedicated and talented musicians in the pit orchestra, led by orchestra pit conductor and McAuley faculty member, Jeremy Eberhard.

“A lot of the music in Peter Pan was really difficult and it did take a lot of sight reading throughout the show,” shares Mikaela Madrangca ‘26.

“We really want to familiarize ourselves with the music and get comfortable with it before we start working with the actors so that we don’t ruin their time… it’s a lot about teamwork,” Madison McKatherine ‘25 agrees. “The music was challenging… but I thought it was really great because we overcame the challenge and it was a really awesome show.”

About three weeks before the show opened, the orchestra and cast sat down together to run through the music, and began to rehearse musical numbers together moving forward.

“We couldn’t watch the show at all, though,” Madison continues. “We have to look at the conductor the whole time, so we never know what’s actually going on. We have to really listen to voice cues.”

Masters Behind the Scenes

The tech crew, build crew, run crew and costume and make-up crew are essential pieces to the puzzle. They spent hours visualizing the world of Peter Pan and building it with strong attention to detail.

One major project for the costume and makeup crew, led by the head of the costume crew and McAuley faculty member, Carolyn Hart, was to bring Tiger Lily’s “Brave Girls” into the modern world. Each dancer was given a symbol of feminine power from a different country or culture. The costume crew hand painted sashes for each dancer, and found unique accessories for each to match. These featured dancers performed choreography by Meghan McGriff Hynes ‘93.

The build crew also had a chance to explore as they made and gathered props and crafted the sets.

“It’s a place where you’re free to grow and try new things. We have every tool and all the supplies you could ever need to make something,” Ellie shares. “My job is pretty much glorified arts and crafts and I say that with love. I’m very free to build some set pieces and props as I want. When I get a list of needs from Mrs. McKee, I’ll go talk to the technical director, Mrs. Katie McCasland ‘11, and either say, I know how to make this already, I’ll just do it, or ask how to do something and she’ll show me.”

“I feel like [the teachers] definitely provide you the support if you need it, but you do have a lot of opportunities to grow and put your own spin on it,“ Addy agrees. “They have a lot of trust in us to get it done.”

In the case of Peter Pan, the build crew was busy as they crafted three major sets for the show - the children’s bedroom in London, the forest in Neverland, and Captain Hook’s ship.

“I got to witness them switching it out during the scene where [Peter, Wendy, Michael and John] are flying away,” remembers Grace Sebby ‘27, who played the maid, Liza. “Liza runs in and sees them flying away, so I’m on stage and had to wait for the crew to pull the set back, unclip the actors from the lines when they landed, and then I had to avoid the crew and the set pieces as they hurried to make the transition in time - I just thought that was so cool!”

“It was a big coordination when we moved between sets,” agrees Ellie. “Definitely all hands on deck. There were probably 30 of us on run crew. Very rarely is every single person on stage doing a set change, but for Peter Pan, every single person was needed. It was like, oh, you’re not doing anything? Come here. And it was a lot of practice during tech week and rehearsals. If it was too slow, we’d have to start again. We got it down to a minute.”

The crew was busy in between set changes, too.

“I wasn’t on stage crew, but I got to see how many different jobs they have,” shares Abby O’Connor ‘28, who played the faithful dog, Nana. “When I was the dog, I obviously got very hot in the costume. So whenever I’d come off stage, someone from crew would hold up a fan on my face. And my cousin was head of costumes at the time, so she came around with me backstage and helped me with the props I had to bring on because I couldn’t really use my hands.”

The crew also spent time mentoring and teaching the freshman, sophomore and junior students.

“I was teaching two younger girls who are going to take over the sound program,” Addy explains. “It was so cool to see them experience everything for the first time, and tell them all the little tricks and hacks… It’s definitely a big learning curve. You try to soak up all of the information and then you have to run it on your own. But it’s a great challenge, and it was very rewarding.”

**Abby O'Connor '28** played the dog, Nana

Honoring our Legacy

Through the years, McAuley theatre has inspired thousands of students and provided them with a foundation in confidence, teamwork, dedication and passion that has served them well in every facet of their lives.

Our theatre program has been upheld by outstanding theatre directors, teachers, musicians, and leaders, including the late Patricia Haynes, whose expertise, innovative thinking, leadership, and dedication to the theatre program and every student she encountered, inspired more than three decades of Mighty Macs; and the late Donnarose Usher Thomas ‘73, whose compassion and guidance helped steer the theatre program for 10 years. Both passed away in 2024, leaving behind a long-lasting legacy.

“We added some elements into the set from the Pat Haynes and Donna Thomas shows, in their memory,” shares Julie. “There was a dollhouse in the nursery set that Pat had actually gifted to the twin daughters of Carrie Peterson Alifantis ‘87, music director for Peter Pan and long-time faculty member. We named Captain Hook’s ship the ‘Donna Rose’ after Donna. We were also excited to use the rocking horse and the fireplace in the nursery, where Peter Pan stands, both of which are pieces from the 2003 production.”

This marks the fourth time McAuley has produced Peter Pan, a show which holds a special place in our history as one of the very first musicals to be performed on the auditorium stage during the 1966-1967 school year. It was produced again in 1984 and 2003.

Kate Scully Krebsbach ‘05 was a featured dancer in the 2003 production of Peter Pan. As she reflected on her high school experiences and spoke about the lifelong friends she made through McAuley theatre, she said, “I’m showing my daughter the DVDs of Peter Pan, and I’m just as enamored. I’m thinking, wow, we were really part of something magical… Talk about living in a community. We couldn’t have done anything in theatre without each other. I think that was one of the best examples of teamwork that I have ever encountered. Because it didn’t matter how good the singing was or how amazing the dancing was, if we didn’t have proper lighting or we didn’t go through tech or the mics weren’t working… you needed all the components. I am just very appreciative to have experienced the importance of leaning on each other at a very young age.”

(above) Heidi Schmitt Rouleau ‘04 as Peter Pan teaches Cassidy Patton Newman ‘05 as Liza how to crow; their counter parts, Amélie Villaseñor ‘25 and Ava Zvejnieks ‘25 (below), crow together, too!

Set Pieces from 2003 Production

Photos from Past Productions

We were thrilled to have cast and crew members from the 1984 and 2003 productions join us for an alumnae reception before the Friday performance of the show. Many of the past characters had a chance to meet their next generation counterparts!

**Stephanie Florence ‘05** *(left)* and **Kate Scully Krebsbach ‘05** *(right)* with Tiger Lily and the Brave Girls

**Amélie Villaseñor ‘25** and **Heidi Schmitt Rouleau ‘04**, Peter Pan

Three generations of Liza: **Cassidy Patton Newman ‘05, Ava Zvejnieks ‘25**, and **Carrie Peterson Alifantis ‘87**

**Kate Kelly ‘86** and **Kai Baker ‘25**, who played Smee, with **Bonnie Schuch ‘25** and **Kimberly Peterson Quinn ‘85** who played Captain Hook

Beyond 99th Street

Katie Spelman ‘05, who played Tiger Lily during her junior year at Mother McAuley, is now a world-renowned choreographer. She has appeared on the Broadway Women’s Fund “Women to Watch” list, the New City Magazine’s “Top 50 Players in Chicago,” and the inaugural list of Theatrely’s “31.” Katie made her Broadway choreographic debut in the spring of 2024 with The Notebook; she was also the associate choreographer on Moulin Rouge for the Boston, Broadway, and Australian companies, as well as a dance consultant on the West End and first US national touring productions. She was an associate on Amélie, American Psycho, and Once on Broadway. During a spring break trip to New York in 2024, theatre students had the chance to see The Notebook and meet Katie after the show!

McAuley theatre students with **Katie Spelman ‘05** *(bottom, center)*.

One famous McAuley theatre alum, John C. Reilly, was interviewed by the New York Times in June 2025, and shared the impact McAuley theatre had on him: “I got an amazing education in a lot of things by participating in those schools where nuns and women ran the whole programs. The school Mother McAuley, across the football field from my high school, was like a liberal arts college. They had a thousand-seat theater, they had an orchestra program, a choral program. They had all these strong women that taught me how to be a feminist. They taught me to find my voice.”

This is a true testament to the importance of women in leadership and how providing an environment where anyone can find their voice has a long-lasting impact.

John C. Reilly and **Jane Bridgman Rodriguez ‘83** in Pajama Game at Mother McAuley, 1982.

Rising Stars

Many of our students - performers, musicians, and crew members - have been selected to showcase their talents at a state level, and many plan to continue studying theatre or musical theatre.

Emily Guzman ‘25 was selected to participate as a crew member in the 2024-2025 Illinois All-State production of The Prom.

Ryann O’Sullivan ‘27 has been selected as assistant director for the 2025-2026 Illinois All-State production of Newsies.

Grace Regalado ‘27 has been selected as part of the cast for the 2025-2026 Illinois All-State production of Newsies.

(from left) Grace Sebby ‘27, Amélie Villaseñor ‘25, and Amar Tadros ‘25 were named to the 2024-2025 All-State Choir.

Amanda Schuler ‘25 was named to the 2024-2025 All-State Orchestra.

Amélie Villaseñor ‘25, who portrayed Peter Pan, was named a finalist in Broadway in Chicago’s 2025 Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards (IHSMTA) for her performance. She’s heading to Illinois Wesleyan University, where she’s majoring in musical theatre.