Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) will present the Tony-winning play Peter and the Starcatcher November 21-23 at THE BLACK BOX directed by Ali Funkhouser. The play upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (a.k.a. Peter Pan). From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the depths of greed and despair, and the bonds of friendship, duty and love.
The 12-person cast features NYC actors Robbie Rescigno as Black Stache, Paul Rescigno as Smee, Emiliano Morales (Chicago tour) as Bill Slank/Hawking Clam, and Gabriel Argate as Mrs. Bumbrake; Massachusetts-based Michael Baratta as Lord Aster, Conor Meehan as Alf, and Nick Paone as Grempkin/Fighting Prawn; and Dean College Musical Theater Senior Jason Robert Warner as Captain Scott.
They are joined by Student Apprentices from the Franklin School for the Performing Arts Owen Charles as Boy, Ricky Fraser as Ted, Colette Lelievre as Molly, and Matthew Packard as Prentiss. FPAC Student Apprentice Baree Frigon will understudy Molly and serve as the production’s Assistant Choreographer.
Featuring a dozen actors portraying more than 100 unforgettable characters, Peter and the Starcatcher uses ingenious stagecraft and the limitless possibilities of imagination to bring the story to life: A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain’s cabin, which contains a precious, otherworldly cargo.
At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training who realizes that the trunk’s precious cargo is starstuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates – led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own – the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure.
Before the Friday and Saturday evening performances of FPAC’s Peter and the Starcatcher, audiences are invited to swing by The Mermaid for a drink 6:00-7:00 PM. When this add-on ticket is purchased, patrons will gain access to a pre-show experience that transports them to a seaside English pub. To the sounds of the waves and live sea shanties, patrons will enjoy drinks and snacks before the show. Pub admission is 21+. The add-on ticket to this pre-show experience includes admission to The Mermaid, an appetizer, soft drink, and reserved seating for the purchased ticket. Drinks and additional food will be available for purchase.
FPAC is an Actors’ Equity Small Professional Theater company based at THE BLACK BOX in downtown Franklin, MA. Each season, FPAC produces musicals, plays, ballets, and more featuring Broadway stars, professional actors, local performers, and emerging artists. Tickets for Peter and the Starcatcher are available at FPAConline.com or by calling the box office at 508-528-3370.
