Newnan Theatre Company presents PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

Newnan Theatre Company is pleased to announce the opening of Peter and the Starcatcher on March 1, running through March 11th. The show is based on the novel by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry, and is adapted for the stage by Rick Elise. The show takes the famous characters of Peter Pan and Captain Hook, created by J.M. Barrie, and gives them a long-overdue backstory.

The story is an adventure on the high seas and on the faraway Mollusk Island. An orphan boy named Peter and his mysterious new friend, Molly, overcome bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a magical secret safe and save the world from evil. The villains include the scary, but somehow familiar, pirate known as "Black Stache" and the ferocious crocodile Mister Grim.

"I saw the show on Broadway and was blown away," says director Dale Lyles. "It is storytelling in hyperdrive! It sweeps the audience in from the very first line: 'When I was a boy, I dreamed I could fly!' The script is sure-footed and literate, and it will say something profound in one line and turn around and hit you with the dumbest joke ever. The fact that the only 'real' things you ever see in the show are two fruitcakes is indicative of how the magic of storytelling will take over your brain and convince you you've been to Neverland."

"I have a cast of twelve amazing performers who can be orphans one minute and pirates the next, who can make you believe a cat can fly, and who themselves have been caught up in the world of the nameless Boy and the gifted Molly. I constantly have to remind them that they cannot laugh or cry onstage. Of course, snagging Mike Funt to play the not-at-all menacing pirate 'Black Stache' is a chance no director should pass up!"

Funt, who is returning to Newnan to play "Black Stache," grew up with NTC. He directed his first show for them, Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin, when he was just eighteen years old. He is currently the artistic director of the internationally-touring, multi-award-winning clown troupe Four Clowns. Additionally, he travels the world leading workshops in clown, mask, and circus arts, and has taught workshops in India, China, Japan, and all over the United States through his home base at The Clown School in Los Angeles.

Peter and the Starcatcher opens March 1 at Newnan Theatre Company on their Mainstage, and runs through March 11. Show times are 8 pm for the Thursday through Saturday night shows, with a 3 pm start time for the Sunday matinees. In addition to the shows, Funt will be leading a Clown Workshop at NTC on March 5th and 6th called The Art of Clown. The cost of the two-night workshop is $100. Tickets for Peter and the Starcatcher are available through the NTC website, www.newnantheatre.org , or by calling NTC at 770.683.6282. Information and registration for The Art of Clown workshop can also be found at the above website or by calling the NTC.

Photo credit: Susan Crutchfield