While Peter and the Starcatcher has been postponed, still check out this interview with Theatre Department Chair Ben Dicke about the play and the ensemble's processes.
Later this month, your department will be performing Peter and the Starcatcher. How did you, as Theatre Department Chair, choose this particular show?
Peter and the Starcatcher is an adventure story and a play with music. When choosing our play material we always consider the specific makeup of our ensemble, a makeup which changes slightly from year to year, and try to find works that match the specific strengths of each of our students. If you look at the casting of each student, you'll see a wonderful marriage of actor to role.
What is Peter and the Starcatcher about?
Peter and the Starcatcher is a delightful adaptation of David Barry and Ridley Pearson's YA novel of the same name. The story leads us on a wild adventure from two ships to one enchanted island where a group of shipwrecked characters slowly transform into the characters we know and love from James Barry's play: Smee, Captain Hook, The Mermaids, and, of course, Peter Pan. The twists and turns along the way, the ensemble-driven play building devices, and the ever-present musical underscoring make this show perfect for Peter Pan lovers of all ages.
Tell us about the main characters of this show.
The four primary characters are Boy, Molly, Black Stache, and Smee. You'll recognize one of those names from the timeless play Peter Pan, but the rest remain a mystery. However, the archetypes inherent in their names provides a great clue into who they might become. Don't most great villains don an unmistakable nose-brow?
From auditions to rehearsals to show, how long will you spend preparing for this show?
We have four weeks to put everything together. I often wonder if audiences fully comprehend the ways in which we dramatically transform our spaces on the fourth floor and how quickly we do it for each show. An audience who has seen any of the theatre productions in the last four years will be amazed when they enter the space for this show. And if they thought about what they saw recently, Macbeth or The Pirates of Penzance, they will be even more mystified. But that's all due to the hard work of Buck Blue, our Lighting Designer Jackie Fox, our Musical Director Pat Rusk, Andy Robinson who always lends his extraordinary painting talents, and a host of other people behind the scenes. It takes a large team to mount a show of this scale and we have a great team.
Academy shows involve direction from many current industry professionals. Who are some of the professional instructors who are helping to put this show together?
We were privileged last semester to have our Lighting Designer Jackie Fox work with our seniors on a deep dive into the show's needs from a design perspective. The class generated some great ideas and we will incorporate them into our final design and build for the show. Being able to bring professional theatre-makers in to work with our students is one of the greatest assets of The Academy's Theatre Department.
How many hours per week do the actors devote to rehearsing for this show?
We will put in roughly 60 hours of rehearsal time in the next four weeks. The hours allotted to us are the reason why we can produce what we do throughout the year while still providing conservatory-style training in our arts classes.
As we quickly approach opening night, what are you most excited about?
This show is about magic. Openings are always magical and this one will be no exception.
Peter and the Starcatcher opens March 20 at The Academy. Tickets below!