Peter and the Starcatcher offers prequel to the iconic tale
We all know the story of Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up, and his adventures with Wendy, Captain Hook, and the gang of pirates, based on J.M. Barrie’s classic novel Peter and Wendy.
But where did Peter Pan come from? How can he fly? Why does he never grow up?
Audiences can find out when the see the Tony Award-winning Peter and the Starcatcher, live on stage in the Edwards Black Box Theatre, presented by Coastal Carolina University’s Department of Theatre, Friday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. (ASL interpreted) and 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday-Friday, Nov. 11-13, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m.
Rick Elise’s 2021 play, based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, centers on themes of adventure and imagination, enhanced by a trunk full of celestial “starstuff” and 17 actors playing more than 100 characters.
“For our production, the answer to how a boy becomes Peter Pan is play,” said director Ben Sota, professor in the Department of Theatre. “The production is about the power of imagination. It is about what happens when we are willing to play, take risks, believe in something we cannot completely explain, and follow our imagination, knowing it might lead us to Neverland.”
In addition to Sota’s inspired directing, the student cast of Peter and the Starcatcher has benefitted from the input and guidance from outside industry professionals.
To extend the theme of play, Sota’s Peter and the Starcatcher involves the use of black lighting to create magical scenes that bring cartoon images to life. To produce that effect, Sota sought the expertise of Hardin Minor, Charlotte, N.C.-based professional performer, mime, dancer, and co-founder of Omimeo Mime Theater. Minor visited CCU in Spring 2026 to share black light theater principles with theatre students and returned sporadically as Peter and the Starcatcher production has developed this fall to direct the creation and installation of black light curtains and structures.
As he watched stage set creation one recent afternoon, Hardin said he has been impressed with CCU students’ talent and dedication.
“I left them two weeks ago with two-, three-minute sequences and reminded them, ‘You need to take care of the props, you need to do this, you have to do that.’ And they have worked like a professional ensemble. They know what we’re trying to achieve. They understand the technique, they understand the blocking, and they have figured things out for themselves.”
As part of their preparation, the student cast of Peter and the Starcatcher also had an opportunity to speak with Arnie Burton, an actor who played a lead role in the original Broadway production of the play.
“Arnie was beyond generous” on the Zoom call Sota had arranged for the students with the assistance of Matthew Schneck, award-winning actor, director, playwright, and assistant professor in CCU’s Department of Theatre. “[Burton] was vulnerable and shared insight, meaning, methodology, history, and personal anecdotes from performing and rehearsing in the original Broadway production,” Sota said. Burton, who played Mrs. Bumbrake and Teacher on Broadway, spoke directly with Ailani Herrero, junior acting major who plays Mrs. Bumbrake and Teacher in the CCU production.
For anyone interested in a few hours of imagination and play with a touch of pixie dust, Peter and the Starcatcher offers cosmic entertainment.
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