MHS Theater Sets Sail with Whimsical “Peter and the Starcatcher”

Nicholas Mistretta
MHS ‘79

SKILLMAN, N.J. — Montgomery High School Theater Department traded fairy dust for starstuff Friday night as students opened their fall play,Peter and the Starcatcher, a playful and inventive prequel to Peter Pan directed by David Gordon.

Performed on November 21 in the MPAC, the production takes audiences back to the very beginning of the Peter Pan legend. The play, written by Rick Elice and based on the 2004 novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, imagines how a nameless orphan becomes “the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up,” how he meets Molly, battles pirates, and learns to fly.

In his director’s note, Gordon reflects on just how deeply Peter Pan has seeped into the cultural imagination since J.M. Barrie first brought the character to life onstage in 1904. Over the decades, Gordon notes, countless writers and artists have revisited Neverland, each answering lingering questions in their own way: Why doesn’t Peter grow up? Why is he forever at odds with a hook-handed pirate? How did mermaids, fairies and flying boys all end up on the same island?

Peter and the Starcatcher offers its own spirited answers, and Gordon’s staging leans into the “story theater” style that made the Broadway production a critical hit. Rather than relying on elaborate sets, the Montgomery production uses simple props — a rope, a crate, a plank of wood — and a highly physical ensemble to suggest ships, storms, jungles, and magical islands. Actors slip in and out of narration, one moment describing the action and the next hurling themselves into it.

Leading the cast is junior Evan Gomez as Peter, the orphan who begins the show without a name and without a home. Gomez brings a mix of vulnerability and defiance to the role, charting Peter’s journey from wary outsider to reluctant hero. A veteran of MHS productions and a member of the school’s chamber choir, he anchors the emotional heart of the story as Peter discovers both friendship and a sense of belonging.

Opposite him is senior Azra Ozan as Molly Aster, the quick-witted young Starcatcher apprentice who knows far more about the mysterious starstuff than the boys around her. Ozan, appearing in her seventh and final MHS play, gives Molly a sharp intelligence and fierce sense of responsibility, balancing moments of comic exasperation with genuine tenderness.

On the villainous side of things, senior Aaliya Naqvi revels in the role of Black Stache, the over-the-top pirate who will eventually become Peter’s infamous nemesis. With exaggerated swagger, rapid-fire wordplay, and perfectly timed reactions, Naqvi leans into the character’s comedic excess while hinting at the future Captain Hook lurking beneath the mustache.

Peter’s fellow Lost Boys-in-the-making, Prentiss and Ted, are played by sophomore Zoe Olenick and junior Katarina Foxx, respectively. Olenick’s Prentiss is all bluster and ambition, eager to be in charge even when he’s in over his head. Foxx’s Ted, meanwhile, always seems to be thinking about food, providing running commentary and physical comedy as the trio stumbles into adventure.

Rounding out the group of scene-stealing pirates is sophomore Arpita “Isha” Pal as Smee, Black Stache’s loyal (and frequently bewildered) first mate. Pal, a familiar face in district productions since middle school, mines the role for every laugh, whether she’s reacting to Stache’s outrageous schemes or trying to keep the chaos under control.

Though the play is dialogue-heavy and fast-paced, music plays a subtle but important role in the production’s atmosphere. Live accompaniment from Amrutaa Santhana Krishnan on percussion and Shivan Shrinivas on piano underscores key moments, adding a sense of momentum to shipboard scenes and a touch of wonder to the story’s more magical turns.

As Gordon notes in his program message, one of the defining features of Elice’s adaptation is the sense that the actors are “creating as they go” and inviting the audience to join them in imagining the world. That spirit is evident onstage as the ensemble shifts rapidly from sailors to orphans to islanders to mermaids, changing the entire environment with a gesture, a chorus, or a cleverly repurposed prop.

The production also highlights the collaborative nature of high school theater. Many of the student performers are simultaneously active in choirs, clubs, and other extracurriculars; others have logged years working behind the scenes as stage managers, costume coordinators, and crew members before stepping into the spotlight. That shared history gives the show an easy camaraderie, especially in the scenes where the company moves and speaks as one.

By the final scenes, as Peter’s future in Neverland comes into focus and the story’s many questions click into place, the Montgomery production has done exactly what it set out to do: offer audiences a smart, funny, and heartfelt origin story that honors the spirit of Peter Pan while standing firmly on its own.

For Montgomery High School Theater, Peter and the Starcatcher is less about revisiting a familiar tale and more about rediscovering it — inviting audiences, just like Peter, to take one more leap of faith and see where imagination can carry them.

Special thanks to The Dance Factory and Tracy Sonner, Realtor for their sponsorship and support of the production.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com