At 7 p.m. Thursday, I attended the “Peter and the Starcatcher” play in Fisher Theatre.
This performance brought audiences on a pirate-filled adventure with scallywags and uppity British characters. It included familiar childhood characters such as Peter Pan and Captain Hook — referred to as Black Stache — sailing across the stage.
“Peter and the Starcatcher” opens with Molly, a starcatcher in training, boarding the Neverland with a chest of starstuff, something she has sworn to protect. Simultaneously, her father is boarding a fast ship, the Wasp, with a decoy chest of starstuff.
They want to destroy the starstuff so it cannot fall into the hands of evil, as it turns anyone into their deepest desires. It’s a powerful and dangerous substance and is wanted by many, including the infamous pirate Black Stache.
At times, the play felt long. Certain scenes dragged on, as they were at times too repetitive or unnecessary to the plot.
Although with a kid-focused play, this isn’t necessarily shocking.
About 30 minutes into the show, fire alarms in Fisher Theater started to go off. Everyone on stage froze, and audience members slowly filed out.
About 20 minutes later, Ames firefighters cleared the building and Iowa State Music and Theater Department Chair Brad Dell announced that the production’s haze had set off the fire alarms.
He also mentioned that this is not the first incident of this sort.
Back in our seats, the play continued. The actors showed extreme professionalism as they reset the stage and continued the show.
During the show, a live band performed on stage and sometimes interacted with the audience.
The set design was simple but effective, showing two pirate ships sailing towards their destination.
Overall, “Peter and the Starcatcher” was a play geared towards children, and it did what it said it would. It entertained the audience, with laughter persisting throughout the show.
The jokes and one-liners appealed to the audience, and the theater’s energy was electric.
I’m excited to continue seeing the diversity of shows ISU Theater puts on; hopefully, the next one has fewer fire hazards.
