The Pitman Drama Department will be presenting the play Peter and the Starcatcher, in the spring. After the department’s successful run of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Musical in the fall, the director, Mr. Norris, wanted to do a play in the spring. As rehearsals have recently started for the play, the audience will be in for a real showstopper!

This play takes place before the infamous story of Peter and Wendy. It shows a young boy’s journey into becoming Peter Pan. In the story, Peter and Molly along with two other orphaned boys, strive to protect the trunk full of star stuff from the Pirate known as Black Stache. 

As the show dates are closing in, the cast has started rehearsing for the play. They have begun working on the production components as well such as sets, props, costumes etc.

Now let’s hear from Mr.Norris and see what he has to say about the play!

Why was this the chosen play for the second semester?

“ I chose Peter and the Starcatcher for a few reasons. One being it is one of my favorite plays and is performed in a unique style that employs creativity and takes inspiration from the make-believe playfulness of children. The show uses minimal scenery and props and instead uses the creativity of our actors to illustrate the story. The second major reason I was drawn to this show for our department is its connection to the famous story of Peter Pan. The audience meets Peter before he is given his name and follows his journey to becoming the Peter Pan we’ve come to know; we also meet a fierce Captain by the name of Black Stache who becomes a familiar one-handed villain. The show is full of easter eggs and references to the Peter Pan universe including the Lost Boys, Mermaids, Tinkerbell and the island of Neverland.”

Any goals you have for yourself or your cast this time through?

“My goal for this production like any other is to put on a marvelous performance that moves and inspires our audiences. In addition to this goal, I hope to teach my cast what it means to be part of an Ensemble; a cast viewed as a whole entity rather than as individuals. Because of the nature of this production and its performance style, many actors work together to support the story and no one actor is of more importance than another. To further illustrate this, some of the larger roles have been double-cast, meaning different actors will perform as different roles throughout the run of the show. I made this decision to increase the opportunity available to our department of student performers, while also showing the cast the beauty of working as an Ensemble to tell a story with live theater. There is no such thing as a “small role” and this is doubly true in this production.”

Is there anything you would like the readers to know? 

“I hope our show serves as a reminder to never lose your child-like sense of wonder and creativity, as well as a reminder of the power of imagination. I’d also like to mention we will be selling tickets for this production online for the first time. All tickets will be sold using GoFan ONLY, for $11 each. Posters will go up on campus with a QR code for purchasing tickets, and tickets will go on sale in early March.”

The cast is made up of 33 talented actors and the production crew consists of seven team members. Those included in the production crew are, Director Patrick Norris, Simar Kaur, Amanda Esquivel, Emma Jackson, Christina Poulation, Jose Salgado and Chase Gamel.

The play will open on March 17th 2023 and close on March 24, 2023. There will also be one matinee on closing night which is March 24th. The show dates are are as shown below:

March 17th @7pm

March 18th @7pm

March 23 @7pm

March 24 @4pm and @7pm