The Student Union Theater is gearing up for lost boys, mermaids, crocodiles and a cast who never wants to grow up.
Touted as “the Neverland you never knew,” the Union Theater will present the five-time Tony award-winning play “Peter and the Starcatcher,” the prequel to “Peter Pan.”
“Peter and the Starcatcher” explores the story of Peter Pan before the tights, as an abused orphan who can’t remember his name. The backstory reveals why Peter never wants to grow up, the origin of the animosity between him and Captain Hook, the history of Neverland and the Lost Boys and more.
Union Theater assistant director Terry Serio researched the production, and based on the show’s successful reviews and accolades, decided it would be a charming choice for the theater to present for the tour’s Baton Rouge stop.
“It’s a smaller Broadway show, and I think it will play beautifully on our stage,” Serio said. “How can anyone resist the fanciful version of Peter Pan’s backstory and it’s infectious spirit?”
A production so design-driven doesn’t come without its challenges. Serio said putting on a production like this will be hard work for the Union technical crew. The crew has one day to prep the stage, which requires stripping all of the lights above the stage and curtains on the stage, and hang the correct lights for the show, which the “Peter and the Starcatcher” team sends in advance. All this and more requires about 50 local technical crew members to load things in, prepare for the performance and load out, resulting in an 18-hour day for the team.
From the actors’ side of the production, it isn’t much easier. Bryan Welnicki, who plays Peter Pan, is one of 12 actors playing many of the more than 100 roles in the play.
“This is a creation unlike most things anyone has ever seen on the stage,” Welnicki said. “It’s Monty Python meets Peter Pan, and what we bring to the table is employing 12 actors to tell this giant story and every single part of the stage is a part of that storytelling.”
Welnicki said every actor is merely in service of the stage, and once the show starts, they rarely leave it. He plays Peter Pan, but he also plays a door and a staircase. He said he believes the production, as well as the show itself, has a great message, opening people’s eyes to the power of human beings and what they’re capable of.
Upon receiving the role, Welnicki and the rest of the cast had to undergo two weeks of intensive rehearsal for 10 hours a day in New York. Because the role is so physically intense, Welnicki had to get in great shape, doing yoga, cardio and circuit training. He gives credit to the cast for helping him get through the challenge of rehearsals.
“The rehearsal process was fast and furious,” Welnicki said. “It was a lot of work, and we all really bonded and helped each other as a cast. I’ve never been more in love with a cast in my entire life.”
The role is not only physically demanding but mentally demanding as well. To perform every night, Welnicki prepares in a number of ways.
“To get into character, I have a pretty emo playlist that I listen to,” Welnicki said. “I wrote notes, drew pictures and analyzed text. I tried to understand his character as an outsider, and then I was able to step into him.”
Welnicki encourages everyone who believes in magic and loves these characters to see the show. He said the amount of support the show has received from younger generations is overwhelming. Through the show, people of all generations are being reintroduced to these beloved characters and seeing them in a different light.
“People should come if they love testing the limits of their imagination,” Welnicki said. “If you watched all the Oscar-nominated movies, if you love theater and if you just want to share a magical experience with someone, it’s great.”
“Peter and the Starcatcher” premieres at the Student Union Theater at 7:30 p.m. on March 3.
You can reach Kayla Randall on Twitter @kay_ran21.

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Scott Suchman

Tony-award winning play 'Peter and the Starcatcher' will come to the Union Theater on March 3.