Standing confidently on stage, sophomore Terry Bartlebaugh’s voice rang out for his opening lines — “I didn’t wanna be a half-blood.”

The theater and vocal performance major starred as Percy Jackson in 32 Bars’ production of  The Lightning Thief, which premiered Friday at Stamp Student Union.  It’s the student-led theater group’s first full scale non-original production in more than a year. 

First appearing off-broadway in 2014, the show reimagines Rick Riordan’s iconic novel about Jackson, a “half-blood” demigod, and his quest to retrieve the Greek God Zeus’ lightning bolt into a comedic musical.   

The Lightning Thief’s director, senior theatre major Emma Callagy, said the company had about four weeks to put the show together in a “fast-paced process” from start to finish.  

Like the original Broadway production, 32 Bars revelled in low-budget camp throughout the performance, said assistant director Matthew Cruser, a senior theatre major.  

[Perfume Genius defies genre, struggles to find his footing on ‘Glory’]

“There’s a moment in the [Broadway] show where someone throws [Percy] a pen and he just spins and he’s like, ‘Woah there’s a sword,’” Cruser said. “They didn’t have the budget to make that, so we just took that energy and infused it into the show.” 

Two performers on top of each other’s shoulders terrorized the stage to simulate the minotaur during “Minotaur / The Weirdest Dream.” When the character Chiron is revealed as a centaur, freshman chemistry and theatre major Sonia Thanicatt rode a wood stick horse, wearing a shirt printed with “Pretend I’m a Centaur.” 

32 Bars infused Broadway-tier pizzazz into the bigger numbers. The 11 O’Clock number “D.O.A.” sees the trio of Percy and his friends — the satyr Grover and fellow demigod Annabeth — finally reach Hades on a boat tour before culminating in a full-ensemble dance sequence. Many numbers feature extended sword fights, such as the clash between Annabeth and half-blood Clarisse La Rue during “Put You In Your Place.”

Callagy said she initially blocked the Act 2 opener “Lost” in a cluttered classroom in Symons Hall. Despite the room’s limitations, she was thrilled with how the number turned out.

“What we were able to do in that room and the really adorable scene that we ended up being able to block is probably my favorite moment in the entire show,” Callagy said. 

Underneath the mythos and magic, however, Bartlebaugh said The Lightning Thief is an earnest celebration of neurodivergency. 

Percy is diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia, often struggling academically. But the show suggests these conditions make him an ideal adventurer whose mind is trained to read Greek.

Bartlebaugh hopes this characterization will encourage the audience to stop defining themselves by their shortcomings.

“It’s a super big honor to be able to represent this character in a show that stands up for people of certain neurodivergencies or learning disabilities,” Bartlebaugh said.

The final number, “Bring on the Monsters,” is a rallying cry for the ensemble, unafraid face the wrath of the Gods and unite as one.

[Disney’s ‘Snow White’ reflects a greater issue with nostalgic media]

Bartlebaugh considers it his favorite part of the show for its camaraderie, and said it’s a beautiful moment to sing together with a common goal.”

With limited time to prepare, the cast didn’t see the production come together with costumes, lights and sound until days before opening night. Cruser found it rewarding to see all the cast’s hard work and ideas culminate into one cohesive run.

Callagy said regardless of budgeting or location, spirit carried this production. 

“Theater is just really people coming together and giving their whole selves to a show, and that’s exactly what everyone has done in this show,” Callagy said. “Even with how little time and budget we did have, it is so much fun, and people are gonna love it so much.”