After numerous rehearsals and practices the Theatre Department will be performing Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) on Oct. 26-28, at 7 p.m.

“We have been working on this play for months now,” sophomore Lamar Burns said. “It’s been a lot of work. We’ve been doing a lot of choreography, singing, and everything. it’s been hectic, but fun.”

The musical is based off of the children’s book and movie James and the Giant Peach.

“I remember watching it as a little kid and I really enjoyed it, and when I found out it was a musical I was eager to join,” Burns said.

Sophomore Oscar Garza said he put a lot of work into developing his character, the grasshopper.

“As soon as I got the news, I immediately started researching,” he said. “I watched the movie and I started to get a feel of what Grasshopper was like.”

Rehearsals for the show started in Aug.

“When the actors have studied their scripts and done their work, then that’s when people are willing to take risks,” Director Melissa Danforth said. “That’s where the magic happens.”

The cast and crew took time to talk about the meaning of the show.

“It’s a play about discovery,” Garza said. “Discovering yourself and the good things about life and enjoying things while you have them. It’s also about growth, moving past traumatic experiences and making the best of it.”

The technical crew works behind the scenes as the actors rehearses on stage.

“There’s a lot of backstage work that went into this production,” junior Tabish Arshi said. “We built the peach, focused and programmed the lights and created the proscenium arch.”

In addition to building the set, the tech crew made several costumes by hand.

“We decided to build costumes rather than rent this year in order to get students who are interested in fashion design the opportunity to see their work in a production,” Technical Director Samantha Dunaway said.

Garza said he’s excited for the impact the play will have on the audience

“My goal is to touch a lot of people from the audience, to touch their hearts and get them to realize that your family and friends are important.”