Steps To The Stage
Steps To The Stage
Lost Girl: Wendy After Neverland
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What if the story didn’t end at the window? We sit down with director Debbie and cast members Sophie (Wendy), Evangeline, Jandy, and Gavin to explore Lost Girl, a daring, female-forward play that follows Wendy Darling’s life after Neverland. Instead of chasing pixie dust, we trace the quiet shock of coming home: the disbelief of others, the ache of a promise never kept, and the courage it takes to reclaim a voice that was written off as a side note to Peter’s legend.
Debbie shares how playwright Kimberly Bellflower centers young women with nuance and grit, using a chorus labeled ABC to embody Wendy’s inner thoughts and stitch time together through subtext. The cast breaks down how this device turns emotion into movement, letting us feel the pull between memory and growth. We talk modern themes—agency, closure, and healing—and why Wendy is neither invincible nor helpless. She’s a person finding her footing after an untidy ending, which makes her deeply relatable.
Design choices amplify the story rather than distract from it. A near-bare stage revolves around a single window and an aged nursery, symbols of waiting and stasis that contrast Wendy’s slow, brave steps forward. Modular blocks and a small turntable ease shifts from the nursery to the city, while recurring sound motifs become the heartbeat of Wendy’s journey. The team also reveals a smart collaboration with the upcoming Peter Pan Jr., creating visual continuity and a shared creative language across productions.
Along the way, we celebrate the ensemble’s craft: how young actors tackled layered subtext, how casting shaped chemistry, and how Slightly’s gentle loyalty reframes what support looks like. If you care about contemporary theater, fresh adaptations, and stories where girls write their own endings, this conversation will hit home.
Tickets for Lost Girl run February 27 through March 7. Grab your seats at chinochildrenstheater.org or call 909-590-1149. If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves reimagined classics, and leave a quick review—your support helps more people find us.
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I feel like a lot of more classic plays or books even, they're not, they don't have a modern take on them and they're not relatable to the times completely, especially with this, because Wendy's always sort of been like the damsel in distress, but she has a lot of emotion to her, and she's she's a person too.
SPEAKER_01:Welcome 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. My name is Kirk. I'm your host for today, and we are so very, very excited to have some of the cast and the director of Lost Girl, which is one of our next productions coming up here on the Chino Children's Community Theater stage here at 7th Street Theater. I would like to first say hello to Debbie, who is our director, but with us as well, we have Evangeline, we have Jandy, we have Sophie, and we have Gavin. Did I get that correct?
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:Yes? Okay. You can correct me anytime during this if I say something wrong or whatever else. Welcome back.
SPEAKER_00:It's great to be back.
SPEAKER_01:All right. Debbie, thank you so much for coming and thank you for bringing um some of your uh wonderful cast members. Is are these all cast members or these are all cast members, yes. Wonderful. Lost Girl, tell us about this production for those that don't know.
SPEAKER_00:Uh so Lost Girl, it's the story of Wendy Darling after Neverland. Uh it goes through her immediate return from Neverland all the way until several years after, and just the uh mental toll that being taken and taken to another place, um, the reactions when you come back with a story like that and how people treat you, and what you then have to unpack as you try to get over um, I don't know, jump in here anytime, kids. Um, you have to get over the the trauma of um Neverland in this case. Um Wendy is in a little bit of a mess. She has a lot to unpack. She is struggling with finding where she fits in in society. Um, she's brought the lost boys back with her. They're her support group. Uh, she spends a lot of time with them and eventually realizes that she has never quite gotten over Peter. Um, and she then goes on this mission to recover and to recover what she gave Peter, find out why he didn't come back for her.
SPEAKER_01:So after Peter Pan, and this is the Chronicles of Wendy, essentially, and and and that journey she's going on. That's incredible. And then who's who's the writer or any history on Sure, the writer is Kimberly Bellflower.
SPEAKER_00:Um, it was uh she was teaching at a university and workshopped this script. Um she is also the writer of John Proctor is the villain, which is a Tony nominated play that uh gained a lot of popularity this uh past year. She writes these female-centric um plays that just are about women and young girls taking back the narrative and making themselves the center of the story.
SPEAKER_01:So a play. This is a play. It's not a musical.
SPEAKER_00:It's not a musical.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, one and then about the time frame it it it came out?
SPEAKER_00:There's uh this came.
SPEAKER_01:Or when when was it created and when did it start the light of day?
SPEAKER_00:I don't know. I don't know when it came out. Um, but I want to say probably within the last five or six years.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, so it's very recent.
SPEAKER_00:It's very recent. Okay. It's picked up a little bit of steam uh with the popularity of John Proctor. So some more theaters have been picking up on it uh and doing it. And um, Kimberly Bellflower says she wrote it because she kept being told that she has Wendy Darling syndrome, that she's trying to save these boys that she dates and has then problems getting over them. So that was kind of the impetus for her to start on the project.
SPEAKER_01:I love that. So let's go around and let's meet some of our guests that are here today. We're gonna start with Evangeline. Welcome, Evangeline. Hi. And just give us a little bit of history about your time on stage, whether it's here or in your school or at another theater, and then tell us your character and tell us a little bit about your thoughts on this what sounds like an amazing play.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, so my first show was actually here. It was The Sound of Music.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, great, great, wonderful. Very familiar with that. My daughter's Abby, by the way. So here we go.
SPEAKER_03:So um after I saw this production of The Nutcracker, I knew I really wanted to be on stage. So I had auditioned for a little while and I couldn't get anything.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:And then I finally It's part of the process. Yeah, of course. And then I finally auditioned here for the Sound of Music, and it was one of the coolest things I've ever done. I love the Sound of Music.
SPEAKER_01:And it was a great production. I'm very biased, but you had you had several, you know, different people playing the same character, and which we do occasionally here, and I got to see both casts, and of course, having you know familiarity with some of the people, but that's great to hear.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it was a great first show. And then I have been doing theater for a while now after that. I've this is my 11th show.
SPEAKER_01:Oh wow. A little bit of theater. You're a pro. I love that.
SPEAKER_03:It is my first play though, so I've never done a non-musical, but it's a great experience.
SPEAKER_01:And have you done anything outside of um 7th Street Theater?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, so I've actually also done some shows with Valverde School of Performing Arts.
SPEAKER_01:Wonderful.
SPEAKER_03:And also Junior University.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, they're all like this area is so nice, and I love Seventh Street Theater. Like they do the best shows. I'm obsessed.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you're not going to get an argument from anyone here, I don't think. But thank you for sharing. And then I'm sorry, what was the character that you're playing?
SPEAKER_03:My character's name is Callie.
SPEAKER_01:Callie. And and what is she in the in the uh production in the play?
SPEAKER_03:So she's a girl that um Wendy meets. It's kind of a spoiler how she meets her. Is it okay? Yeah, we'll play.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you can just say they it's it's someone that Wendy meets. We'll just say that, okay? And then goes along that journey and and and hijinks and Sue, I would imagine.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:Nice.
SPEAKER_00:Evangeline also plays one of our um ABC is just how they're titled in the script. And they act as a lot of different things. Um, and and Jandy here is also one of those characters. They are um, I think the main portion they are is they're storytellers as well as the voices inside Wendy's head.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Ah, I love that. I love that. So, Jandy, tell us a little bit about your history and your journey here.
SPEAKER_05:So I place oh, sorry. My first production here was um Frozen Junior. Okay. And I started here.
SPEAKER_01:Another great production.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, I started here when I was seven years old. And it's just it's been really great here. I've done four shows, not including this one. So this is my fifth show here at CT. Uh I also did Finding Nemo Jr., Charlotte's Webb, and A Charlie Brand Christmas.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, so many great memories.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah. I loved all of them, all of the shows. I've met so many great people, and it's just so fun being part of theater. I love the community so much. Um, I haven't really been involved with any other theaters outside of this one, but I did a few plays at my school.
SPEAKER_01:Wonderful.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, I just love theater.
SPEAKER_01:Wonderful. That's a well, this is a good place to really let that spread. And and uh there's so many different things that we can do. I mean, I'm obviously privy. I get to talk to all these amazing casts and I get to find about all the different things that happen. So we're glad you're here. Thank you. And and I'm sorry, tell me your uh you were what what's your characters?
SPEAKER_05:Uh I play Krista, which is also one of the girls that Wendy meets. And I'm also a C in the ABC chorus.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, I just think it's a really great role to be because you get to be like so many people at once because you're also Wendy, but you're also another girl, and you're just like in her thoughts. It's just really, it's a really great experience.
SPEAKER_01:Wonderful. So we're gonna go over here to Sophie, and Sophie is someone that I know very well because she was actually in in one of the first productions that I was in here when you were a wheelass. Um and uh so we've known each other for quite some time now, and I've been able to watch you grow and and play many different roles, but also not just on stage, but backstage as well, and all that you're doing there. So, Sophie, tell us a little bit about your journey and about your character.
SPEAKER_04:Wow, okay. So I've been here for a very long time. I started when I was seven, and I was Amanda Thripp in Matilda. Um that was a really good experience immediately when I came here. Everyone was so welcoming and I really felt connected. So I always came back. I auditioned for every show that I could, and I've been in a lot. I don't really remember all of them. Well, I do remember all of them, but I don't know how many that I've been in. Uh and I've done some CCT shows as well as the CCCT shows. Um I played a few kids in the adult theater. Um, and recently I've also been doing a lot of tech. So I did backstage for a few shows, and I also did sound design, and I was the sound technician.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I know I've been next to you a couple times up there in the booth, so that's great. So and your role in this particular play?
SPEAKER_04:Um I play Wendy in the play. It's a really fun role, and I love it so much. I feel like I relate to her a lot also.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And you I'm sure you have a pretty good relationship with Peter Pan and the various stories and the way that's been told.
SPEAKER_04:Um Maybe. Peters? Peters? Um Peter's just a guy. Yeah. He's just a boy.
SPEAKER_00:Definitely not the hero of the story.
SPEAKER_01:Ah, I love that. I love that. Gavin. Yes. Welcome. Hi. Tell us a little bit about your background and then who you're playing.
SPEAKER_02:I'm Gavin, of course, and I've been doing this theater for about a year and a half now. Okay. I start off with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr.
SPEAKER_01:Another wonderful production.
SPEAKER_02:I played Grandpa, and most recently before this, I played Piggy in Lord of the Flies.
SPEAKER_01:Lord of the Flies, yes, another production that will that was here. Well, welcome. And then currently you're playing in this. I am playing slightly in this. Slightly. Slightly. Okay. You're not playing slightly, you're playing characters slightly.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, slightly playing slightly. No. Yes. Full-on playing slightly.
SPEAKER_02:I love that. I love that. And who's slightly? Slightly is this a lost boy who came back with Wendy through Neverland. And he is this man who's kind of has a little crush on Wendy. What can you say? Uh-oh. A little? A lot. And he just wants what's best for her throughout the whole story. And he's always by her side.
SPEAKER_01:Well, this is very interesting and intriguing, right? Because I will have to say, honestly, I didn't do as much research as I normally do on this. And but I'm only vaguely familiar with The Lost Girl. But I'm very familiar with Peter Penn and that story in the many ways it's been told. And uh this seems very intriguing and exciting about bringing a different viewpoint um to this story that's a classic and that many, many, many people know. So I wonder how do you get in that mindset of working on doing something new that is related to a classic?
SPEAKER_04:I feel like a lot of more classic plays or books even, they're not they don't have a modern take on them and they're not relatable to the times completely. Um especially with this, because Wendy's always sort of been like the damsel in distress, but she has a lot of emotion to her, and she's she's a person too. She has a lot of like obviously being taken to another world is gonna have a lot of an effect on her, especially since she never sees Peter again. So I think that getting into it is probably pretty easy for me because I feel like her story needs to be told, and this is a really exciting and a really like in-depth way to do that.
SPEAKER_01:So I just now want to let you know I have the intro to the podcast right there, because I got goosebumps hearing you talk about that, and what I think the reason why is you're playing a character, Wendy, and you when asked a question that you guys don't know what questions I'm gonna ask, you eloquently explained what this about, this this play and production, especially what it means to you. So, one, thank you for giving my intro to the pod. But two, thank you for so directly and succinctly, I think, giving your feelings, which I think is important for someone that's gonna come and get a ticket and come see this, to understand where you're coming from. So I really appreciate that. So thank you so much, Sophie.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you.
SPEAKER_01:We're gonna move over here to the side. Let's hear a little bit more insight from you guys, knowing Peter Pan and then taking on this role and and and playing what seems very important for being that the relationship you have with Wendy. I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on that approach or your feelings about it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, um, what I love about this story is that Wendy is not one of those characters that's super strong, and she's also not one of those characters that is always needing help. And I feel like that's more realistic to girls in the real world and how a lot of girls can relate to Wendy. And what I love about our characters is we kind of share her subtext and we're the ones that move the story along. And it's a really unique way that I've never seen before to move along a story and to show how Wendy is feeling or what she's thinking about. So it's really fun.
SPEAKER_05:Uh, for me personally, I wasn't familiar with the story of Peter Pan before auditioning for Lost Girls. So I kind of learned both stories um like at the same time. And I think it's a really great way to like learn the stories. Yeah. Then it just it made a lot more sense before like when I got the subtext from Peter Pan. And it just feels so much more moving how Wendy's like moving through this story, like gaining her narrative back. It's just it in a lot of ways it feels very relatable. Um, that strength of Wendy. So I really love that.
SPEAKER_01:Well, Debbie, you're doing a fantastic job because these responses are are not, I believe honest with you, weren't the responses I was expecting. And I'm thoroughly I mean, I'm I am not only impressed about how you carry those thoughts, but how you've delivered them. And that to me shows that they've had good leadership and understanding what this is about. Because even though we we have a couple of members that maybe haven't had the same experience with Peter Pan, Peter Pan is a classic and it has been around in so many different shapes and forms. And um, hearing your response to the impact of Lost Girl as it relates to that story in the relation to Peter Pan, very impressive, you guys. For I mean, I'll just say your character development and in really trying to understand, you know, what it's about. But it also sounds like you're applying a personal feeling to that. And I think that's so important acting. And you're young actors, and that's not always something that necessarily you see, but maybe I shouldn't be, maybe I shouldn't sell you guys so dang short, right? So bad on me. Um, but thank you so much because that's just been so refreshing just to hear that it's just, oh yeah, I know my lines, and this is it. You're really giving me some in-depth um description of it. So sorry, I just have to share that with you because it's fantastic.
SPEAKER_00:So this cast is amazing. I mean, the youngest ones are eighth grade, um, and our oldest are just barely post, you know, post-high school. And I spend a lot of time on subtext um and and trying to connect the different scenes and trying to connect the different characters. And the expectation that I had for them being a little bit younger, um, I thought we would have to probably even spend more time on it, but they picked it up immediately. They see things that I don't see, they make connections that I maybe didn't connect. It's a beautiful script, it's incredibly well written. Um, and in terms of those things, in terms of being able to cipher the subtext and being able to make connections between lines and situations and callbacks to different um early parts of the play, later in the play, and just this build towards her self-realization. And they got it, and they are getting it, and they're doing an amazing job in then uh translating that onto the show. It's not an easy show to do. It's very different, I think, from what a lot of them have done before in terms of having this um this chorus of ABC, as well as all the other core characters have some chorus portions as well, where they are filling in the gaps in the story between the individual scenes. Um and they're, I mean, I'm I'm amazed and very impressed at how quickly they got all of that.
SPEAKER_01:How many people are in the cast? 14. 14. Okay, wow. And the casting process was good. You've you felt like you got a good representation. Oh, yeah. And and you were able to find those characters.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, we we could have gone a little, we could have gone several ways. We had a lot of people that were very strong. Um, but you know, in the end, it's a puzzle and you have to fill in a lot of pieces. Um, I'm so impressed with Sophie, especially. I have never seen her like this on stage before. Uh, the range of emotion that she has had from day one has been just spectacular. So I hope that's like I I mean, I hope that that's because she's connecting to her character and she's finding the similarities. Um man, she breaks this up every single rehearsal.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, oh, that's that's amazing to hear. Um, I'd like to know more about um, because we talk about this a lot on our on our episodes, your staging, your costuming props, things of that nature. How is that utilized and and who's part of your team? And just give us a little bit about that, Debbie.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, um, it's very simple. Um, the script describes it as uh uh a bear stage. We'll have a window. The window is the focal point of the stage. Um, it is where Peter comes and goes, right, uh, in the original story. It's that symbol of waiting for Peter to return. Um, it's the symbol of bringing the lost boys back and their journey into the story. So that's the focal point, and it all takes place for the most part in Wendy's nursery where she still is for whatever reason. Um, her brothers aren't there anymore. They've moved on, um, but Wendy is still stuck in that nursery. So the nursery is very important for the staging. We thought it was for the artistic design, and that's being done by uh Natalia Elizalde and Jack Mayo, who are former actors from 7th Street. Yes. Um, was that the nursery itself is caught in time, has an aged look to it. It's never been modernized from the original time period of the story. So it will be familiar to um the audience. Um, it also is going to be the same set that Peter Pan Jr. will be using, which is what's coming right after us. Yes. So we thought it was important to have the continuity between the two stories. Um, Donna, who's directing that, and I have been working very closely together. Our uh Master Carpenter is Brian Goad, who's going to be working on both shows. We have a quick turnaround between shows. Um, and to the extent that other settings are used in this story, um, we've got some actors blocks that we use to set those scenes. And we've got one small um turning platform that'll that'll kind of be used when we go out into the city as opposed to Wendy's nursery. But it's really important that a lot of it it takes place in Wendy's nursery, or at least that's the background of the scene because it's very representative of where she is at the beginning of the show and where she's stuck for the most part.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. That's great. So I I've I've I've heard some of the names that are part of that team that are helping you, and I know it it takes a bit, and I like to hear that you're coordinating with obviously the next production that's coming up, and we're looking forward to hear more about that. Is there anyone else or anything else you want to mention about the the the play and who's involved or or the direction or how the cast is pulling you?
SPEAKER_00:Um like I said, this cast is amazing. They work very hard. Um, I get very tedious with them sometimes. So I'm sure they get a little frustrated. Um in, you know, each director is very different in how they approach rehearsals and the order that they do things in. And so they've kind of had to adapt to my style, which they've done really well. Um I Yeah, I mean, it's simple. We're trying to keep everything in terms of staging and Lighting and there are some sounds that repeat throughout. There's definitely a motif to the sound.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um but it's going to be simple. It's not going to be over the top in any way because the power is in the storytelling in the show and the actors.
SPEAKER_01:I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. Well, you guys, I'm very excited to see this production. I and and and obviously I always like to support all of the shows that come through here, but having this discussion today, I'm really excited about learning more about it on my own and then coming and watching this performance. So I want to thank you all for giving us the insights into not only this play, but also your own individual journeys and and um pathways. And I want to thank Debbie, who was actually one of our very first guests on this particular podcast. And I'm going to take a quick moment to say thank you to all the listeners. Thank you from people that are not only here in the United States, but uh in other parts of the world. Um and then if you haven't seen, and if you're not following us on our socials recently, we were just voted in the top 10 in California Theater Podcasts. So we're very excited about that. And we're also voted in the top 40, number 17, in arts podcasts. So this little uh Chino hometown community theater podcast that we started off with, Debbie talking to us about production, and our next guest, who's Donna, talked to us about directing. And here we are. We were coming up on a pretty significant milestone in downloads and uh 25,000. So we're pretty excited about that. And we're we've been ranked. Um, and it's because of the amazing input that we get from our guests here, like Evangeline, Jan, Jandy, Debbie, Sophie, and Gavin. And and not only thank you for your time here, but also just thank you for being a part of the arts. And I'm glad that it's on our theater, but we hope that it's on many other theaters that you take this insight and um your approach to your characters and whether you're acting or whether you're running sound or directing or doing costumes or whatever. Just thank you so much for all that you do. For all of our listeners out there, we do appreciate you. Please send us a note, send us a um a message, let us know about your community, your theater community. What part of the world are you from? What part of the country are you from? We want to know more about community theater. So, our run for The Lost Girl is going to open on the 27th of February and go through the 7th of March. Tickets are available now. You can call the box office here code 909-590-1149, or you can visit our websites, Chino Community or Chino Children's Community. Nope. I messed it up from the beginning.
SPEAKER_00:Chinochildren's theater.org.
SPEAKER_01:There you go. You can go to our website, you can give us a call, you can follow us on the socials. There's links through there as well. Get your tickets opening up on the 27th of February. Come and see this amazing production, and thank you all so much for spending some time on Steps to the Stage.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you, Kirk.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks 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. Steps 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.
