Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf Performing Arts presented Peter and the Starcatcher from Nov. 15–17, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of NTID Performing Arts. This whimsical and adventurous prequel to the beloved story of Peter Pan, based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, was staged at the Robert F. Panara Theatre on the RIT campus. Performances took place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 16–17.
As with all RIT/NTID Performing Arts productions, Deaf actors performed using American Sign Language and Visual Vernacular, while hearing actors used spoken English.
The Tony Award-winning adaptation of Barry and Pearson’s best-selling novel, conceived for the stage by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers and written by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker, reimagined the tale of how a miserable orphan became The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan). The play explored themes of greed, despair, and the profound bonds of friendship, duty, and love through its engaging narrative.
The story followed a young orphan and his companions, who were sent from Victorian England to an island ruled by the nefarious King Zarboff. Unbeknownst to them, a mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin contained starstuff, a powerful celestial substance. When pirates, led by the villainous Black Stache, seized the ship in pursuit of the trunk’s treasure, the adventure escalated.
The production marked the 50th anniversary of NTID Performing Arts. With set, costume, and lighting designs by Erin Auble, Rosie Mazique, and Sacha Glasser, and sound and projection design by Dan Roach, the show was directed by JW Guido, Andy Head, and Serena Rush.
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