Peter Pan, J.M Barrie’s timeless tale about forgotten youth and magic, has captivated and entertained young and old alike for more than 100 years, a story revived repeatedly over the years in a steady flow of new adaptations in literature, TV, film and theatre.
But who hasn’t wondered about the back story? Who was Peter before he became a hero? Why does Captain Hook have a hook? Why does the crocodile tick? What about Tinkerbell – just how did she get her name?
Syndicated columnist Dave Barry and author Ridley Pearson decided to answer those questions and more when they co-wrote Peter and the Starcatchers published in 2006. No surprise to lovers of Peter Pan, the prequel to the magical story became a hit and was followed by additional books: Peter and the Shadow Thieves in 2007; Peter and the Secret of Rundoon in 2009; Peter and the Sword of Mercy in 2011; and The Bridge to Never Land in 2012.
In 2011, the theater adaptation of Peter and the Starcatcher (a play by Rick Elice based on the novel by Barry and Pearson with music by Wayne Barker) was performed on Off-Broadway and took the theatre world by storm. It opened on Broadway in 2012; and many Tony, Obie and Lucille Lortel awards later it continued on a second off Broadway run. That’s when CATCO Producing Director Steven C. Anderson finally saw it.
“I was completely captivated by it,” he said, “and couldn’t wait to perform the show on the CATCO stage.” His dream came true this season when CATCO received the rights earlier this year to perform Peter and the Starcatcher in Columbus – a regional premiere.
“Every so often, a play is written that embodies what audiences love about going to the theatre: a mixture of story telling, song and imaginative movement – entertainment extraordinaire,” and Peter and the Starcatcher is such a play, Anderson said. “Adventure, comedy, surprise and music blend to transport the audience to Neverland.”
At the same time, Peter and the Starcatcher is true to CATCO’s history of producing shows with an irreverent sense of humor, such as A Tuna Christmas, Greater Tuna and The Mystery of Irma Vep. “It’s sort of like a South Park version of Peter Pan,” Anderson said.
The show requires the audience’s attention and imagination because actors play multiple parts and the special effects are performed with props and the actors themselves, an intentional strategy on the part of the playwright Elice. In the notes for his play, he said he envisioned “the dozen actors would play everyone and everything – sailors, pirates, orphans, natives, fish, mermaids, birds … even doors, passageways, masts, storms, jungles.”
This holiday season, CATCO invites central Ohio to “dare to imagine, hope and dream – and catch the stars with Pan and company,” Anderson said.
Photos by Ben Sostrom.
Peter and the Starcatcher runs Dec. 2-20 at the Studio One Theatre, Verne Riffe Center, 77 South High St. Tickets are available by visiting catcoistheatre.org, or ticketmaster.com, or calling the box office at 614.469.0939.
GCAC Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus – in partnership with the Columbus Arts Marketing Association, a professional development and networking association of arts marketers. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at the arts in Columbus.
