A Review of Peter and the Starcatcher
By Swathi Ram, Kaitlyn Randolph, and Riley Mitlehner
Nov. 20 — Sunset High School — After four successful nights, Sunset Theatre’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher wrapped up last week to a chorus of applause. The play, based on a novel written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson in 2004, was adapted for theater in 2009 by Rick Elice. The plot centers around well-known characters Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Mrs. Darling (Wendy’s mother), and serves as a backstory to the events of Peter Pan. Among other storylines, it explores how Neverland and pixie dust (starstuff) came to be, how Peter became forever a boy, and how Wendy’s family relates to Peter.
The decision to perform Peter and the Starcatcher was made by Mr. Farmer, director of the production. “I love that everybody’s involved all the time,” Mr. Farmer commented. “I love the old-fashioned theatricality.” However, Sunset came extremely close to putting on a different play. “I adore Shakespeare,” Mr. Farmer gushed, “but I came to terms with the fact that I might love it more than other people do.” Pride and Prejudice was another play on the list, but it’s around 200 years old. “I wanted something fresher and newer,” Mr. Farmer said.
Before Peter Pan was given his legendary name and reputation as the boy who never grows up, he was one of three orphans, and known simply as “Boy,” as he had “been an orphan too long to remember [his name]” (Peter and the Starcatcher). His story begins with two ships, the Neverland and the Wasp, each with a trunk onboard. One is filled with precious cargo of Queen Victoria’s, (God save her), and the other is a decoy. However, it is soon discovered that the Wasp, the ship that should have been carrying Victoria’s trunk, has been taken over by pirates, and the trunk has been stolen by the captain of the Neverland — the ship which Boy, Prentis, and Ted (the orphans), and Molly Aster (future mother of Wendy Darling) are aboard. The story is full of laughter and anticipation as the pirates chase the four children (who take over the mission to protect the trunk), off ships and around a faraway island. Slowly, Molly teaches Boy to love once again. In a verbal joust with Black Stache (Captain Hook before he lost the hand), Boy earns the name Peter, and a mermaid later gives him the family name Pan, meaning all, because all of the island will be his family. In the end, the trunk full of star stuff empties into the island waters, turning it into a magical place. The Wasp sails away with Molly in it, but Peter names the island “Neverland” after their old ship, so as to never forget. Watching the play, the viewer experiences ups and downs, humor and heartbreak. As expressed by Mr. Farmer, director of the production, the story is one of “childhood and growing up, and the bittersweet pain of leaving all that behind.”
Within the play there are many small details that explain previously unexplored plot elements in Disney’s movie. For example, when Molly and Peter are attempting to get away from the crocodile chasing them, they throw a kitchen timer in his mouth — the source of the ticking noise that follows the crocodile everywhere. A highlight of the play that many people described as their favorite was Black Stache (Captain Hook) getting his hand cut off — not from getting attacked by the crocodile, but by accidentally shutting the lid of a trunk on it. Smee later feeds the severed hand to the crocodile, sparking his constant hunger for the rest of Black Stache. The last notable easter egg was the trunk of “starstuff” getting into the water of Neverland. Presumably, the island was originally normal, but the spilled starstuff transported it to the stars and created other supernatural elements like the mermaids and fairies.
Stepping into the theater that night felt like walking into a new dimension. The brilliant acting made each scene feel as though the audience had stumbled into a private conversation, and the lighting, sound effects, and sets brought the fantastical elements to life. As stated by Mr. Farmer, “the ensemble built the world of the play.” Although they made it look easy, it most definitely was not. This production was one of the most complicated for the sound department in a while. For reference, Sunset’s musical from last year, Mean Girls, had five sound cues, whereas Peter and the Starcatcher had 141. Let’s not forget about the painters who constructed the beautiful sets that brought the quaint ships and magical island into existence, and the costume designers and individuals in props who brought our characters to life. Lastly, we have the actors who spent hours of meticulous blocking (sometimes spending an entire rehearsal on one scene), and got up on that stage every performance night. “I’m so moved by the effort and energy they put into it,” Mr. Farmer commented. “They always show me things I never saw before. The more I can stay open to what they bring, the better it is.”
The majority opinion among both cast and crew members was that Black Stache had the best costume. It consisted of a detailed long red coat, a black vest, a red bandana, heeled black boots, a mustache, hair extensions, and golden charms. Costume director Courtney Robinson said they tried out various different vests until they found one that worked, and picked one of the most “flamboyant” button-up shirts available to match his personality. The Sunset costume range unfortunately didn’t have any pirate coats on hand, so they went out and bought one specifically for his character. Black Stache’s costume, along with his role, were fan favorites.
“There’s a lot of pieces that have to fit into the puzzle,” Mr. Farmer stated. Between props and costumes, sets and sound, lights, and the actors themselves, there were so many parts and people that came together to create this production. The result was breathtaking.
Read about what the crew and cast of Peter and the Starcatcher had to say in our follow-up article!
