Review: CATCO's PETER AND THE STARCATCHER Takes Audiences on an Adventure to Neverland

The wooden deck and porthole windows that adorn the Vern Riffe Center's Studio One Theatre might cause landlubbers' legs to wobble a bit while finding their seats, but audience members need not fear seasickness when they come to watch CATCO's regional premiere of "Peter and the Starcatcher."

Featuring a lively cast of characters, imaginative staging and non-stop action, the classic story of Peter Pan is revived on the stage in a two-hour adventure sure to please theater-goers of all ages.

"Peter and the Starcatcher," the stage adaptation of a 2004 children's novel of a similar name written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, takes viewers on a journey through magical waters to the shores of Neverland. Along the way, audience members meet the play's plucky heroine, Molly Aster (Emma Cordray), who is desperate to prove to her father that she has what it takes to be starcatcher -- an individual who works to protect magical starstuff from falling into evil hands. She is accompanied by her nanny, Betty Bumbrake (Andrew Levitt) whose constant fussing over her charge garners several chuckles and claps early on in the show.

Cordray's portrayal of Molly is imbued with whimsy and wit, which energizes her interactions with other characters, especially the titular hero, Peter (Danny Turek).

Often the foil to Molly's boundless energy, Peter is an orphan who dreams of "just being a boy for awhile." Turek perfectly captures Peter's evolution from a sullen boy without a name to the brave, eternally young master of Neverland.

Molly and Peter are also joined by Ted (Conor Moore) and Prentiss (Colby Tarrh), two other orphans whose constant bantering in the face of fantastical obstacles prompts lighthearted laughter throughout much of the performance.

As the play continues, the children brave the tumultuous waves of the high seas while striving to retrieve a trunk of precious cargo belonging to Queen Victoria and keep it out of the hands of greedy sailors and pirates, especially the flamboyant, albeit mercurial, Black Stache (Mark Mineart).

Apart from the production's brief intermission, there is little time for rest as actors run up and down the aisles and back and forth across the stage in a frenetic performance that does not cease until the final curtain comes down. Comedic exchanges abound, costumes sparkle and absurd plots are haphazardly thrown together in record time -- all factors that contribute to the breathless energy that careens audiences through the plot's twists and turns.

The second act definitely has more structure than the first, and longtime fans of Peter Pan, Wendy and the Lost Boys will smile as beloved characters' origin stories come full circle at the end of the show.

Like the magical sands of Neverland that prevent its island inhabitants from growing old, "Peter and the Starcatcher" is a joyful spectacle that suspends the pressures and worries of reality and makes everyone in the audience feel like a kid again.

"Peter and the Starcatcher" is set to be performed from Dec. 2 - 20.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, located at 39 E. State St. next to the Ohio Theatre, or by calling 614.469.0939. Tickets are also available via Ticketmaster.

The Vern Riffe Center is located at 77 S. High St.

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