Review: 'Peter and the Starcatcher' at O'Fallon TheatreWorks

Erin Karll

OnStage Missouri Columnist

The current show for O'fallon Theatre  Works is a trip to Neverland. 'Peter and the Starcatcher' is the story of how Peter Pan came to be, written by Rick Elice and music by Wayne Barker. Pirates, treasure, lost boys, and even a crocodile come to life on the stage.

The plot is strong and witty. Cast members play many parts often switching mid-scene. That took a little time to figure out, but was done so cleverly. The set (Christopher Resimius) is minimalist which worked with the storytelling style of this play. The costumes (Raelynn Twohy) worked well, allowing the actors to switch quickly back and forth, and the mermaid fins and wigs are show stoppers.

My main issues with this production is with the sound. There was a lot of echoes and sometimes the music overpowered the actors. Most of the show the sound was perfect, but there were many pops of inaudible lines. Another issue I had was actually getting the tickets. The posters and other promotional material said to call a number to reserve a seat. When I did I was told that I had to go to a website. The website took a little playing around on, skipping all the classes offered through the city hall and finding the right date for the show. Now that I have done that once I think it will go easier, but it was some work to figure out.

But, getting the ticket was worth it. The cast is amazing. Stand outs were the lost boys, Jeremy Boyd (Peter) Mark Van Coutren (Prentiss), and Brady Stiff (Ted). They work well together and are amazing storytellers. Greg Stiff (Betty Bumbrake) and Joe Groeblinghoff (Alf) are the comic light of this production. They are silly and charming without overdoing it. Calyn Roth (Molly) is a powerhouse. A strong character that also showed fear and vulnerability. The whole cast works as a well oiled machine.

I would recommend this production to the young and young at heart, those who won't grow up. Find some star stuff and get ready to fight some pirates.

Visit http://www.ofallon.mo.us/parks&rec/ofallontheatreworks for tickets (create an account first). Running until March 5th at the O'Fallon Missouri city hall, catch this production before it says 'tiramisu'. Photo by Photography by Vicky