(Image via Instagram / @bristoltheatreprogram)

Staff Writer: Brian Galindo

Email: bgalindo@umassd.edu

Bristol Community College (BCC), like UMass Dartmouth, has a very active theatre scene. From Thursday, April 11th, through Saturday, April 13th, they put on a production of Peter and the Starcatcher in the school’s Jackson Performance Arts Center.

The show is a bit of an origin story for Peter Pan, though its connection begins rather subtly. So subtly, in fact, that Peter isn’t even named Peter until the end of the first act. If one didn’t know the shows were connected when they walked in, they could easily be surprised while still being drawn in by the performance.

Directed by Elizabeth Bettencourt, the show used each actor in many different ways, and the ways it did make every scene fun to watch. Each actor played not only a main, named role, but also many unnamed side characters, and even objects.

One person who deserves a lot of credit is the sound designer and foley operator, Abby Casey. She made noises happen in real-time, played a myriad of instruments, and used quite a handful of props to make sounds that kept the audience invested.

Of course, one couldn’t talk about audience investment without talking about the actors. As previously stated, they all played so many fun roles, but this article will just go through their main ones.

Leads Micah Lima and Carolyn Boyden played the titular roles of Peter and the Starcatcher – the Starcatcher being named Molly Aster – respectively. 

Lima excelled both in the comedic and the emotional timing, hitting each beat perfectly and pulling at the audience’s heartstrings. Boyden not only played Molly’s young yet fierce personality perfectly, but they also nailed their British accent (since the show took place in Britain).

Cordelia Thorn and Briana Lawrence played the lost boys, Prentiss and Ted, with great humor, while still retaining the sad innocence such a role required.

Taylor K. Corbett played the role of Black Stache, the pirate who would end up becoming Captain Hook, with an intense stage presence that was both fierce and fun. Black Stache’s first mate, Smee, was equally as fun though much less intense; Donovin Minks played the role with unmatched humor.

Rounding out the cast were a few more knockout performances by:

• Jacob Niewola as Mrs. Bumbrake, Molly Aster’s nanny;
• Jonah Creaney as Molly’s father, Lord Aster;
• Jerry Ridlen as Alf, a sailor who falls in love with Mrs. Bumbrake;
• Gabby Noversa as Slank, the corrupt captain of a ship called the Neverland;
• Arden Wojcik as Captain Scott, the captain of a ship called the Wasp and Lord Aster’s friend;
• and Alexander Correia-Little as Fighting Prawn, the head of Mollusk Island.

Each actor was on stage almost all the time, doing something to help the scene move forward.

In addition to such an amazing cast, the team behind the show deserves a lot of praise. Along with those already listed, other jobs included:

• Matthew Paquin, who designed the set and lighting;
• Astasja Davis-Foster and Gregory Silver, who designed the costumes;
• Teressa L’Heureux, the Technical Director;
• Alyssa Oliver, the Stage Manager, assisted by Abby Sullivan and Molly Logan;
• Madison Beland, who operated the light board;
• Jill Fernandes, the Rigging Operator;
• and the Tech Crew, which included Adrian Velez, Maggie England, Reilly Pereira, Jonathan Mastriano, Sarah Frates, and Matthew Daniels.

Each of these people contributed greatly to the production, from its stellar set to its amazing costumes, and its spectacular use of lighting.

Abby Sullivan, who acted as one of the Assistant Stage Managers for the show, has also done several shows on the UMass Dartmouth campus, for both production companies. They were a featured vocalist in the 16th Annual Broadway Revue, as well as taking on the role of Ocean O’Connell-Rosenberg in Ride the Cyclone.

BCC’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher was nothing short of spectacular. Being such a short drive away from UMass Dartmouth, it makes sense that students from each school should go to support the other’s shows.

Interested in keeping up with BCC theatre? Check them out on Instagram at @bristoltheatreprogram!

Interested in keeping up with UMass Dartmouth Theatre? Check out UMass Dartmouth Theatre Company on Instagram at @umassd_theatreco and 20 Cent Fiction at @20centfiction!