At NRACT, the Inventive Peter and the Starcatcher Finds Some Fresh Life in the Old Pan Tale

In the absolute morass of Peter Pan-related sequels, prequels, and re-imaginingscall them vampires, robots, aliens, punks, whatever, it's still about boys who just won't grow upRick Elice's adaptation of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's YA novel series about Pan's origin is a welcome standout. The production deliberately employs the limitations of the stage to create a breathlessly paced and self-aware tale of a journey to a mysterious island, using minimalist props and lighting to convey everything from giant ships to enormous crocodiles. And there's some hilarious slapstick as well, including an origin of sorts for Captain Hook that involves every possible inflection of a certain three-word saying. There might be too many Peter Pans in the world (literally and figuratively), but Peter and the Starcatcher is a treat for kids and kids-at-heart that won't make you wish the boy would just grow up already.