Confession time: I have loved all things Peter Pan and Captain Hook since I was around 8 years old and I received the Disneyland Records recording of the songs and story of the 1953 animated classic Peter Pan for my birthday. I knew those songs by heart, and I pored over any book or comic I could find that had even a hint of Neverland, the Lost Boys, the Darling children, their flying companion Peter, and his arch enemy, James Hook.
So it is with this background that I always enter a theater to see an iteration of Peter Pan and his misadventures, such as The Arlington Players’ production of Peter and the Starcatcher.
In 2004, humorist Dave Barry released a precursor to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, co-written with Ridley Pearson, Peter and the Starcatcher. Several years later, the best-selling novel was adapted into a lively and imaginative stage production with music by book writer Rick Elice and composer Wayne Barker. The show has since gone on to become a staple of theaters large and small.
The Arlington Players’ production, wrapping up performances this weekend, can add to their own successes with this engaging production.
The premise is simple: in an improvisational manner, an ensemble cast shares the story of a nameless orphan boy and a plucky lass named Molly and their encounters with pirates and the origin of Neverland. The actors portray more than 100 characters, switching roles quickly, and having a ball while doing it.
Without giving away too much of the storyline and how the adventures in this play lead to Peter Pan and Captain Hook being mortal enemies is part of the fun of this adaptation. The Arlington Players, under the direction of Hilary Adams, certainly embraced the ragtag nature of the story and the myriad characters in this delightful production.
With an emphasis on play, Adams gave her actors a wide berth to move through the story with alacrity, abetted by Matt Scarborough’s sharp musical direction and keyboards, which support the scenes and back the variety of shanties and other ditties throughout the play.
Max Newman captured the timeless and mischievous qualities of “the boy who never grew up,” and has a wonderful chemistry with Emily Monaco as Molly, the “starcatcher” of the title. As a character, Molly has a simple but challenging mission: protect a trunk full of magic dust and keep it out of the clutches of evil men. Monaco embraces the whimsy of her character and the spirit of the piece.
Among those baddies bent on domination and getting at her trunk, Black Stache is front and center, played with comedic aplomb by Michael McCarthy. The head pirate and king of malapropisms, McCarthy has a field day with the role that will eventually become known far and wide as Captain Hook.
The rest of the ensemble — switching from sailors, to pirates, the mermaids, and the natives known as Mollusks (don’t ask!) — keeps the production moving along and the audience engaged with their creativity and skill, using minimal props and a very basic set design, allowing the performers to remain in focus throughout the two-hour running time. John Lynch (Prentiss), Megan Ann Hinton (Ted), H. Christian Aguilar (Smee), Robert Rotenberry (Lord Aster), David Gorsline (Capt. Falcon Scott), Anna Marquardt (Mrs. Bumbrake), William MacLeod (Bill Slank), and Grace Murtha (Alf) took on their primary roles and others gleefully. Other ensemble members included Sarah Kessler, Parker Scott, Anton Soszey, and Liz Hynes.
The entire cast wallowed in the playfulness of the script and let their childish selves shine, which is perfect for a set of characters — and many new ones — that keeps audiences in touch with their own childlike wonder, a welcome escape during cold and trying times. It was also fun to reconnect with my eight-year-old self, still dreaming of adventures in Neverland.
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 20 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.
Peter and the Starcatcher plays through February 15, 2026, presented by The Arlington Players, performing in the Thomas Jefferson Community Theater at Jefferson Middle School, 125 S Old Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA. Tickets may be purchased online in advance. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors or military, and $20 for students. Groups of ten or more get tickets for $20 per person.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The matinee performance on Sunday, February 15, will have Sign Language Interpretation. Please note that the underground parking is open, and more information on parking can be found at thearlingtonplayers.org.
Peter and the Starcatcher
A Play by Rick Elice
Based on the Novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Music by Wayne Barker
Originally produced on Broadway by Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Greg Schaffert, Eva Price, Tom Smedes, and Disney Theatrical Productions.
CAST
Boy: Max Newman
Molly Aster: Emily Monaco
Black Stache : Michael McCarthy
Prentiss: John Lynch
Ted: Megan Ann Hinton
Smee: H. Christian Aguilar
Lord Leonard Aster : Robert Rotenberry
Captain Robert Falcon Scott: David Gorsline
Fighting Prawn/Grempkin/ Sanchez/Mack: Brian Lloyd Jimenez
Mrs. Bumbrake/Teacher: Anna Marquardt
Alf: Grace Murtha
Bill Slank/Hawking Clam: William MacLeod
Ensemble: Sarah Keisler, Anton Soszry, Liz Hynes, Parker Scott,
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Hilary Adams
Assistant Director: Jenna Dawkins
Producers: Allison Gray-Mendes, Kristen Parody
Music Director: Matt Scarborough
Stage Manager: Ramah Johnson
Asst. Stage Manager: Aberdeen Bowman, Vera Worri
Set Design: Matt Liptak
Lead Carpenter: Julie Fischer
Assistant Carpenter: Shah Choudhury
Scenic Design/Painter: Mercedes Chatterton
Properties Design/Set Dressing: Griffin Voltmann
Lighting Design: Jeffrey Scott Auerbach, Kimberly Crago
Sound Designer: Kiersten Bowman
Sound Mixer: Colette Yeager
Costume Design: Joan Lawrence, Elaina Reck
Makeup & Hair Design: Maureen Dawson
Dialect Coach: Hilary Adams
Fight and Intimacy Choreography: Brianna Goode, Stefan Sittig
Mermaid Outta Me Choreography: Stefan Sittig
Dramaturgy: Griffin Voltmann
Light Board Operator: Maria Forte
Run Crew: Kendall Billings
Sound Crew: Prachi Sadekar
Rigging Chief: Christopher Smith
Fly: Steven Yates, Nolan Hughes, Nitesh Kartha, Anna Mae Murphy, Paige Lambright
