Imagination Abounds In 'Peter And The Starcatcher'
By Melody Udell in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 4, 2014 9:05PM
'Peter and the Starcatcher' at the Bank of America Theatre.
The last time I saw an iteration of Peter Pan, it was years ago at Cathy Rigby’s born-again production in Branson, Mo. (Yeah, don’t ask.) Although Rigby—as sprightly as ever in her 60s—was still quite adept in the title role, it was a long time before I wanted to hear Peter’s infamous rooster crow or anything to do with lost boys. In fact, on press night for the touring production of the Tony-winning play Peter and the Starcatcher, which bills itself as a prologue to J.M. Barrie’s classic tale, I still wasn’t sure if enough time had passed. But as the first act bumbled forward, outlining the tale of a heroic little girl named Molly (Megan Stern) and her swashbuckling adventure with a soon-to-be Peter Pan (Joey deBettencourt), it was clear that Starcatcher is just the sort of witty, irreverent show that’s capable of turning a childhood story into a smart, adult-oriented night of theater.
The spirit of the production drives the show’s fast pace, and it gives Starcatcher a charmingly off kilter vibe. Slapdash set pieces and props are of the “random item” variety—a piece of rope becomes a swelling sea, a row of actors transform into a series of doors, a couple of veggie steamers become, well, I won’t give that part away. But the scenery and props are all fuel for the audience, who are tasked with using their imaginations to keep up with the fast-flowing plot. The actors, too, partake in the whimsy; they consistently make asides to explain their characters’ feelings or describe a plot turn. Shortly after we meet our heroine Molly, she explains to the audience that her first glimpse of the boy who would become Peter Pan left her feeling a little more “grown up” inside. In Starcatcher, Peter has not yet been christened "Peter Pan"—he’s just an unnamed orphan in route to servitude on a remote island. But the headstrong, brainy Molly makes it her mission to save the boy and his fellow orphans, all the while trying to complete a secret mission of her own for the Queen of England. (Molly’s father, Lord Astor [Nathan Hosner], is a sort of secret serviceman, and she’s in training to become one herself.)
As is usually the case with a show that’s crammed full of plot, Starcatcher starts to feel a tad bogged down. In this case, it happens at the arrival of the Mollusks, an island tribe that both help and hinder Molly and Peter’s quest to save the Queen’s trunk full of jewels (and another trunk full of magical powder called starstuff). Playwright Rick Elice, who based Starcatcher off of the young adult novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, had his work cut out for him—certain aspects of the story start to unfurl all at once, a tad clumsily. But the talented, well-cast ensemble takes it in stride. DeBettencourt as Peter is simultaneously poignant, wily and proud—no easy feat—and Stern’s Molly manages to show a hint of vulnerability underneath her heroic ideals. As the wily Black Stache (the would-be Captain Hook) Chicago actor John Sanders is a stand out with his wiry frame and hilariously villainous flamboyance.
It wouldn’t be Peter Pan without a little bit of sentimentality, but the show’s outrageous humor and slapstick performances help balance out the poignancy with absurdity. Peter and the Starcatcher is both rowdy and witty—it’s theater with a wink. And it’s good to be in on the joke.
The show runs through Sunday, April 13 at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe, 312-977-1710 or online.