The Real Magic Behind ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’
Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher is full of starstuff, pixie dust, and about a hundred other wonderful things. But what gives the play its true magic is the spirit of imagination it invokes in its audience.
The following is an excerpt from an interview with Peter and the Starcatcher playwright Rick Elice about the theater style he used to create a magical world for both children and adults:
“When I came on board as playwright, [directors] Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, and Disney’s brilliant dramaturg, Ken Cerniglia, had already hit on a great organizing principle. Act One would take place on board two ships at sea—all cramped quarters, tiny cabins, claustrophobic, dark, wet, sinister. Act Two would take place on a tropical island, with bright sky and big, open spaces. In order to create a simple, stark environment in which to tell a young person’s story in an adult, muscular and surprising way, the directors embraced the style of Story Theater, or Poor Theater—a favorite technique of Alex’s and the trademark of Roger’s great Royal Shakespeare Company triumph, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.
The dozen actors would play everyone and everything— sailors, pirates, orphans, natives, fish, mermaids, birds … even doors, passageways, masts, storms, jungles. They would also narrate action and memory, giving each of them a privileged relationship with the audience. This would encourage the audience to be more than spectators; it would invite them to play along, to participate, to imagine … I aimed to write a play seasoned with the contemporary, irreverent tone of Dave and Ridley’s Peter and the Starcatchers and the stylistic flourishes employed by J. M. Barrie a hundred years earlier for the original Peter Pan— high comedy and low, alliteration, puns, broad physical gags, songs, meta-theatrical anachronisms, sentiment delivered so deftly that the end of the play breaks your heart.
My challenge would be to write this new play in such a way that it merged the two disparate styles … The marriage of classic and modern in the writing brings the Story Theater aspect of the play into sharper focus. And the Story Theater style gave me the freedom to create a vast landscape of far-flung places, physical and emotional. And the wings to take you there.” – Rick Elice, 2014
To read the complete synopsis (with spoilers) of Peter and the Starcatcher, please click here.
Photos by Tony Firriolo features Stephen James Anthony, James Putnam, Kenny Babel, and the cast.
Eat, shop, and #unselfie
Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday. I love the sinful food, the great company, and of course—the shopping! But as stores pack to the gills with sleep deprived shoppers on Black Friday, I find myself giving thanks for Cyber Monday. Skip the lines AND get great deals from the privacy and comfort of home? Sounds good to me.
Orlando Shakes is embracing Cyber Monday this year, offering a special deal to anyone looking for that perfect stocking stuffer for friends, clients, and loved ones!
CYBER MONDAY – Monday, December 1, 2014
For one day only, get 1/2 off Signature Series gift admissions for $23 (valued at $45). Gift admissions can be redeemed for tickets to any show in the Theater’s Signature Series and they never expire. Save big and give the unique gift of live theater this holiday season!
- Visit us online–The fastest and easiest way to save!
- Call the Box Office at (407) 447-1700 ext. 1*
- Stop by in person*
*The Box Office will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Cyber Monday.
Offer valid only on December 1, 2014 from 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Limit six (6) reduced price gift admissions per person. Not valid on previously purchased gift admissions. Gift admissions cannot be redeemed online.
So we have a day for giving thanks and a day for getting deals, but what about a day for giving back? Enter Giving Tuesday! On Tuesday, December 2, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. Now in its third year, this global celebration has started a new tradition of generosity—and coined the term “#unselfie”.
Orlando Shakes will celebrate Giving Tuesday in a big way. We’re kicking off our brand new power2give campaign! Stay tuned for details.
Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Giving Tuesday!
Shakespeare Yours,
Melissa Landy, Public Relations Coordinator
‘Pick-A-Tick’ Raffle (Open House 2014)
Last season’s 1st Annual Open House drew in over 500 familiar guests and new faces to the Theater. Our 26th Season Open House (on Saturday, August 23 from 11am – 2pm) promises to be even better. Festivities will include a backstage tour of the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, an opportunity to sit in on a rehearsal of the highly anticipated musical Les Miserables, photo opportunities with costumed characters, and free crafts for the little ones.
In addition, the Theater will host a “Pick-A-Tick” raffle featuring first-rate prizes like:
- Orlando Shakes CYO 3 & 5 ticket packages ($200+ Value)
- Free unlimited ticket exchanges within your chosen productions
- $5 off additional single tickets for friends and family, including Les Misérables* (Offer not valid for senior matinees or preview performances)
- Courtesy show reminders and parking alerts
- Great seats at a great price – reserved for you before the general public
- Orlando Museum of Art Dual/Family Membership ($80 Value)
- Free year-round museum admission for two adults (and any children under 18)
- Free admission to 1st Thursdays
- E-newsletter subscription
- 10% discount at OMA shop and educational programs
- And much more!
- Orlando Philharmonic Ticket Voucher ($80 Value)
- 2 Silver Tickets to any one concert in the 2014-15 Super Series at Bob Carr Theater
- Theatre UCF Ticket Voucher ($40 Value)
- 2 tickets to Baltimore Waltz (September 18 – October 4, 2014) in the Black Box
- Mennello Museum of Art swag bag ($75+ Value)
- Gift includes: Earl Cunningham canvas tote bag, magnet, set of 4 coasters, Painting an American Eden and The Collector’s Legacy books, and coffee mug
- Orlando Shakes Bard Card
- Exclusive discounts at local restaurants and businesses including: Citrus Restaurant, Wolfie’s Pizza Mia, Hawker’s Restaurant, and more!
Drink Vouchers at Harriett’s Bar
- Commemorative 25th Anniversary Taming of the Shrew posters signed by the cast
- Award-winning Magic Tree House books and JetBlue merchandise
- Tickets to Orlando Shakes productions—including Les Mis!
- And more!
RAFFLE RULES: “Pick-A-Tick” raffle participants must be present at Orlando Shakes’ Free Open House on August 23, 2014 between 11am and 2pm. Raffle participants may purchase 2 chances (for a $5 donation) or 5 chances (for a $10 donation). CASH ONLY. Chances will be pulled and prizes revealed at the time of cash donation. All proceeds benefit Orlando Shakespeare Theater programming.
Want to save time at the door AND receive exclusive instructions on how to secure your spot on a building tour? RSVP for our 26th Season Open House today!
Where in the World is Flat Stanley?
When we first came up with the idea of creating an Orlando Shakes Flat Stanley (to coincide with our Children’s Series production of The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley this October), I hoped it would catch on. But I never dreamed our little Stanley would become a seriously accomplished traveler!
Thanks to Orlando Shakes staff, actors, designers, stage managers, Board Members, patrons, and friends, Stanley has already been to 17 of the 50 states in the USA, including New York, Texas, Nevada, and Hawaii! He’s even been out of the country, traveling to historic Italian sites like Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and the Vatican! Additional international travels include Beijing, China; Toronto, Canada; and the Irish countryside!
I
t’s become an exciting game for me, checking off cities as new photos come in. I’m looking forward to traveling with Stanley myself in the beginning of August. We’ll be visiting family in the great plains of South Dakota—stay tuned for pictures of Stanley in front of hay bales and meeting smelly livestock!
You can check out Stanley’s travel photo album on Facebook or Flickr. Going on an adventure of your own? Print your very own Flat Stanley and bring him along! Post your photos on our Facebook wall or tag us on Instagram and Twitter (@orlandoShakes).
Happy Travels!
Shakespearely Yours,
Melissa Landy
Public Relations Coordinator
Playwright’s Corner: Rob Keefe
If you attended last season’s new play festival PlayFest at Orlando Shakes, the name Rob Keefe may sound familiar to you. His dark comedy The Cortez Method made a big impact on patrons who were both surprised and inspired by the play’s issues of fertility, home improvement, prescription drugs, and family dysfunction. “Our audience’s reaction to the reading was passionate [and] the post-show discussion was charged,” said Director of New Play Development Mark Routhier. The response was so great, the play will return to Orlando Shakes for its World Premiere as part of Harriett’s New Play Series at the end of this month.
In Keefe’s play, middle-aged Sara is desperate for a baby and her husband (Bill) will do anything to make her happy. When Bill’s brother (Walter) turns up unexpectedly, everything begins to unravel. What follows is a darkly comic roller coaster ride ending with a half-finished kitchen full of blood of Biblical proportions. With such a twisted new take on the American dream, you may find yourself wanting to know more about the man behind it.
Rob Keefe, who was born in Turkey and raised in Kentucky, received his BFA from the acting program at Boston University. After spending a summer training at the National Theatre of Great Britain, he worked as an actor in San Francisco and it was at that time that Keefe began writing short pieces for fellow actors. Theater companies took notice and agreed to produce his work, including Thrillpeddlers in San Francisco, which he still occasionally writes for today. The company even toured some of Rob’s work to Burning Man and Rio DiJaniero, Brazil. Rob currently resides in New York City with his wife and kids.
OS: What is your favorite play and/or playwright and why?
RK: I like Brecht, Eugene O’Neill, and Naomi Wallace. They’re all really different writers, but what they have in common for me is characters I can latch onto. I like flawed characters and sinners. I also read as much fiction as I can.
OS: In The Cortez Method where did the correlation to the famous explorer Hernan Cortez come from?
RK: In my play, Walter’s interpretation of what Cortez did is based on a myth. He does what he thinks is an important dramatic act and gets it wrong. He wants to make a point that there’s no retreat but all he really does is screw himself up. Walter is someone with nothing to lose and when he collides with Bill and Sara, things get kind of volatile.
OS: In this play you combined really dark subject matter with witty sarcasm. Comedy, drama, dramedy – how would you label it?
RK: I’m not sure how to categorize this play except to say it’s a “dark comedy”. It straddles the line between dark and funny, and pretty much takes place in real time. [This] is interesting to me because we get to witness things happen and unravel. The minute Bill enters that kitchen we are on a roller coaster with him, and with the cast we have at Orlando [Shakes], it promises to be quite a ride. When the sun comes up, it starts to get dark.
OS: Each character in Cortez is desperate for something. Which of them are you rooting for to succeed?
RK: Even more than desperate, all four characters have a clarity born from experience. They’re at points in their lives where what they want is very clear and they are very specific about achieving their goals. A couple of them are delusional as hell, but everybody has a pretty good idea of what they want. Desperate only happens when something or someone gets in the way. I like them all, even though they’re not always pleasant.
OS: Why is this play relevant to today’s audiences and what do you want them to take away from the production?
RK: I think anyone who’s ever been married, had siblings, or renovated their kitchen can relate to this play. I think it’s a very American story because it’s about class and the options that may or may not be available to you based on your background. Everybody on that stage is trying to improve themselves in one way or another, but they don’t all choose the best or most legal route.
The Cortez Method runs from August 29 – September 22, 2013. Routhier, who performed the role of Walter in a New Orleans workshop and originally brought the script to Artistic Director Jim Helsinger’s attention, will now take on the role of Director for Orlando Shakes’ upcoming World Premiere production. “I’m looking forward to digging into this play and finding more of its humor, its darkness, and its depth with our talented cast,” Routhier said. The production features actors Paul Bernardo as Bill, Riley Clermont as Walter, Suzanne O’Donnell as Sara, and Melanie Whipple as Odette.
Tickets and further information available at www.orlandoshakes.org or by calling the Box Office at (407) 447-1700.
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