In the world of theatrical storytelling, St. Edward’s brought to life the magical and whimsical origin story of Peter Pan, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” a play by Rick Elice. The Mary Moody Northen Theatre’s third show of the season was directed by Ben Wolfe ‘99, with music by Wanye Barker. The show took the audience on a fanciful journey through the origins of Peter Pan, providing a backstory on characters we all know and love: Captain Hook, Smee and Ms. Darling. Featuring live foliage and inventive stage directions and clever props. The show unfortunately experienced a shortened run due to a wave of COVID-19 hitting cast and crew members.
While the show had a successful and smooth opening night, one of the actors fell ill the night of the second show. Wilson Pilibosian, freshman, was feeling so sick they held the show for a brief moment. Over the intercom the actors were asked to come off stage, and they quickly picked the show back up, with understudy Che Greeno having moments to prep before stepping into the role. The cast was thrilled when Pilibosian had recovered by closing night and was able to wrap up the show.
“There were just too many cases during our rehearsal process, so we had to go asynchronous for a little bit,” assistant director Theordore Jones said.
Despite the COVID-19 setbacks, an aspect that set this show apart was the use of a British dialect throughout the show. Unfortunately, this production had to make-do without the use of a dialect coach. The actors were tasked with projecting in a foreign accent to a small theater in the round. One big drawback from this was a lack of mics on the actors. Even with these hurdles, the show still managed to cast its magic, delivering a captivating and child-like wonder that left audiences spellbound.
“We had our fair share of issues, but that’s expected in educational theater,” senior Juan Diego Chaparro, playing Mrs. Bumbrake, said.
Alongside the students, the cast featured two guest Equity artists, Maclain Dassatti as Black Stache and Tobie Minor as Lord Aster.
“I am really lucky to have had scenes with the Equity artists,” junior Indigo Lane, who played Smee, said. “Working with them one on one is really valuable because you learn and grow more than you realize, because they are professionals and they have a lot to teach the students.”
Despite the obstacles posed by the lack of a dialect coach and COVID-19 cases, the cast of Peter and the Starcatcher rose to the occasion with resilience and dedication. With collaboration from the cast and plenty of rehearsing, the actors took the chance to explore new avenues to broaden their educational theater experience.
