Early this December, the Bishop Feehan Theatre Company staged Peter and the Starcatcher, a play that illustrates the origin of Peter Pan. This production was an unforgettable experience for the company in many different ways, largely due to the exceptional direction of Mrs. Strunin. Since the very first rehearsal, Mrs. Strunin has worked diligently to provide the cast and crew with countless learning opportunities, not to mention the creative ideas she has designed to make the performance as memorable as it was. The most unique part of Mrs. Strunin’s vision was the seating arrangements. During a normal performance, the audience almost always watches the show in the auditorium seats, but for Peter and the Starcatcher that wasn’t the case. Thinking outside of the box, Mrs. Strunin daringly placed the audience onstage, a first in the department’s history. This arrangement challenged the cast and crew throughout the rehearsal process, but taught them valuable lessons they can carry into future productions.
Jacob Rebelo (‘24) notes,
The onstage seating taught me a lot about how to be able to make the performance an interactive experience for our audience. It also was really fun to be able to improv a lot during the show.
— Jacob Rebello ‘24
Jacob played the show’s antagonist Black Stache. Although Black Stache seemed like an intimidating villain at first, he was anything but that. Jacob’s performance was certainly not one to miss, having the audience laughing uncontrollably throughout the entire show. Another standout in the show was Riley D’Alessio (‘24) who played the leading lady Molly, Wendy Darling’s eventual mother. Riley states, “This show was truly my favorite theater experience yet. Between performing for an audience on stage, meeting so many new actors, and getting to lead senior company traditions, this show has been an extremely unique and special opportunity. I have learned so much from so many people in this beautiful process!”
Although this was Riley’s last on stage performance as part of the company, she will be returning to direct the spring musical Shrek, which will be running April 5th, 6th, and 7th. Overall, the cast, crew, and audience all seemed to love Peter and the Starcatcher. Both Mrs. Strunin and the company look forward to the next production and what follows!
