Whether it’s a movie or a live theatre production, entertainment is presented in small doses. Regardless of how immersed the audience gets in another world, it only lasts for an hour or two before disappearing from screen or stage.

For those involved, however, it is much more than a matter of hours. Sometimes the process can last half a year.

Wylie High School’s theatre department will perform Rick Elice’s “Peter and the Starcatcher” Oct. 18 and 20, but according to director Polly Harrison, planning began as early as May.

“This time last year we did a drama, a pretty heavy drama, so I felt it was a good opportunity to go in the other direction,” she said. “As an educator, not just a director, I consider what they’ve done before. Even with the musical, we try to change between a classic piece and a modern piece. This is not the same criteria every director would use, but in a program this large, I try to find opportunities for as many students as possible while maintaining the integrity of the pieces we choose.”

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By Morgan Howard • [email protected]