KINGSTON, R.I. – Nov. 18, 2024 – “Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning” are your average directions to finding Neverland. But, before Neverland ever came to be, the story begins with an orphan boy, later known as Peter. 

Peter and the Starcatcher is based on the 2004 novel of the same title by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, adapted for the stage by Rick Elice. The play, produced by the University of Rhode Island theatre department, provides a fun and whimsical backstory for the beloved story of Peter Pan and his arch-nemesis Captain Hook. We meet a poor orphaned child, only known as Boy, on the high seas with fellow orphans and a young girl named Molly – the daughter of famous starcatcher Lord Astor. Molly is on a mission to save the world and protect a treasure trunk filled with “magical star stuff” from getting into the hands of evil pirate Black Stache. As they travel aboard the Neverland ship headed for a faraway land, Molly and Boy learn about love, friendship and forge an unbreakable bond.

To invite the audience into this fantastical world, the ship must be steered by a director with an innate sense of play. Guest director Ted Clement comes from the Community College of Rhode Island’s theatre department with dynamic range in his experience. He’s directed pieces ranging from Circle Mirror Transformation by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker to Green Day’s American Idiot, which earned him the 2019 Motif Theatre Award for Best College Production and Best College Direction. 

“The nature of the play is to build the story out of an assortment of costume, props, and scenic elements, in order to engage the audience in a game of imagination. My concept for the play is to base it in what I call ‘grandma’s attic’ or a space filled with a collection of memories. From this idea, we have developed the story to take place in the home of an aging star of the stage who welcomes a group of children into her home, all of whom have been sent to the English countryside to escape the dangers of the blitzkrieg during World War II. Seeking adventure, the children discover an attic filled with costumes and props of all kinds, and play a game called ‘Peter and The Starcatcher.’ So while the story occurs in the 1880s, the world of our production takes place in 1939,” said Clement. 

Scenic design is integral to telling the story in order to bring such a rich, imaginative time and place to life. URI alum Rénee Surprenant Fitzgerald brings her expertise to the wonderfully conceived “grandma’s attic.” 

“I thought, how do we create a space that looks like an attic, but also transforms using lighting and fun props? You can imagine it being a ship – or how children playing could be inspired to see the space as a ship. From there you have to consider the insides and rigging of a real ship. I found a lot of pieces of architecture, shapes, and wooden beams that I could combine to make the set feel like a real attic, but also spurred from a child’s imagination. It’s kind of a container for the rest of the story to come out of,” said Surprenant Fitzgerald. “Hopefully everyone gets swept up in the theater magic of it all.” 

The theatre department frequently collaborates with Surprenant Fitzgerald since she left the University in 2010. She is a freelance designer and scenic artist with work across the country, and currently the lecturer of set design and the resident scenic artist at Brown University. She holds an MFA in production design from Michigan State University, and a BFA in design and technical theatre from URI.

With a director at the helm and a transformative attic in place, the driving force behind the story is played by freshman Max Hunter, as Boy. 

“I think everyone can relate to him in one way or another. Whether it’s trauma or falling in love and how weird and bizarre those feelings are. He is very relatable and I think it’s very interesting seeing his rise and not letting his trauma define him, but rather how he overcomes them to become the person he always wanted to be,” said Hunter.

This is Clement’s first time working with URI, which enabled a fresh perspective on the actors who auditioned, making for an empowering casting process.

“Working with Ted I’ve learned to have fun and find joy in the role,” explained Hunter. “He is very encouraging when it comes to making acting decisions. He doesn’t always love the choices, but he would always rather us try them and experiment than just push our ideas away.” 

This approach fosters a safe environment for young actors, which in turn makes the themes and messages of the play more accessible. Peter and the Starcatcher explores the depths of greed and despair, as well as bonds of friendship, duty, and love. Although these themes are examined through a child’s eyes, there are certainly relevant themes that connect to our culture today.

“The play is a satire that lampoons English colonialism, which is something that is being actively confronted in our world as never before. The cultural perspective of the age that the play deconstructs can be, at times, shockingly challenging from our contemporary outlook,” said Clement. “More than anything, I hope they have fun. The play is hilariously constructed, and the actors are bringing amazing energy to the comedy. Also, the source material is iconic, and the telling of the origin story of these legendary literary characters is absolutely brilliant.”

In addition to an eight-show run, the production offers something special to local Rhode Island schools. The theatre department has invited 150 students from Central Falls High School, Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts, and Westerly High School for a special school performance. The performance will be followed by a talkback featuring cast and creative team members and will be held on Friday, Dec. 6, at 10 a.m.

This was made possible by a gift made from Mary Higgins, URI class of ‘67. The department faculty discussed how to use the generous offer and decided to bring back school performances to allow a theatrical experience for a wide variety of high school students. Additionally, with this opportunity it helps to recruit prospective students into a vibrant and varied career in the arts.

“Before the pandemic, we consistently exposed high school students from all over the state to the very best of college theatre at URI. We are extremely happy to welcome the diverse populations which represent multiple geographic areas of Rhode Island to see this show,” said Theatre Department Chair Paula McGlasson. “Many first-year students at URI told us that they remembered their attachment to theatre based on this field trip. It is a wonderful means of reaching future theatre patrons and artists. We are very excited to open our doors to this community of young theatre goers once again.”

Peter and the Starcatcher runs Nov. 21-23 and Dec. 5-7 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 24 and Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. in J Studio at the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for senior citizens and URI students, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling (401) 874-5843 or at the box office in Room 101H of the Fine Arts Center.

Peter and the Starcatcher cast

Max Hunter, (Boy/Peter) 
Abraphine Ngafaih (Molly)
Ethan Clarke (Black Stache) 
David Satana (Prentiss)
Ryan DeSacia (Ted) 
Terrence Fry (Grempkin/Mack/Sanchez)
Cole Stanley (Smee) 
Isaiah Agabi (Lord Aster) 
Christian Owen (Fighting Prawn)
Ella Kenny (Mrs. Bumbrake) 
Matt Perrotta (Alf)
Brandon Tallardy (Captain Scott)
Maeve Murray (Teacher)
Jake DeShiro (Slank/Hawking Clam) 
Caroline Cronin (Ensemble)
Princess Johnson (Ensemble)
Fletcher Pike (Ensemble)
Tatiana Sullivan (Ensemble)

This press release was written by Paige Monopoli, communications coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences.