The cast of the VMSS play this fall, The Neverending Story, has begun rehearsals for the show. The play begins with with an intriguing introduction to the story. The protagonist, Bastian, who struggles with being the victim of bullying, finds that reading books gives him an escape from the bad memories and problems in his life. “The Nothing” is a dark force that is dominating the land where the book is taking place, Fantastica. The main character of the book, Atreyu, has to defeat it or it’ll take over this land.

The book that Bastian reads in the play is called The Neverending Story. As Bastian is reading this story, he realizes that the world is real and he has to help save the land from being taken over by “The Nothing”.  Bastian has struggled with the loss of his mom and from the torment of bullies and now he must keep this land from being taken away. As the major confrontation of the book characters and “The Nothing” unravels, the boy has to save Fantastica and the people in it, or all will be lost. 

The Neverending Story is related to the theme of escaping harsh reality through books. While the story is heavily based off of very real concepts, there are elements of magic that help create a more fantastical vibe. All the characters have different conflicts that bring depth to the story. Some parts are smaller but they still play a pivotal part in the story and help the main characters develop. The story also follows social themes like bullying.

This is just a sneak peek at the unraveling story of the VMSS fall play, so students will have to see it for themselves during the student matinees on Wednesday, November 14th and Thursday, November 15th. Parents and community members can also see it during the performances on Thursday, November 15th; Friday, November 16th; and Saturday, November 17th.