whimsical
✧
inventive
✧
adventurous
“Peter and the Starcatcher is a love letter to theatrical imagination. It asks artists and audiences to believe in the power of a rope, a trunk, a bit of music, and a room full of people playing together. This production also marks our fourth time coming together with our friends at ThinkTank Theatre. It’s a collaboration rooted in shared curiosity, bold storytelling, and deep belief in what theatre can do. We can’t wait for you to take this journey with us!”
Peter and the Starcatcher
by Rick Elice
a co-production with ThinkTank Theatre
Presented at the Shimberg Playhouse
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
1010 N Macinnes Pl, Tampa, FL 33603
Preview: November 5, 2026
OPENING NIGHT: November 6, 2026, 7:30pm
PRE-SHOW CELEBRATION: November 6, 2026, 6pm
Join us for our traditional pre-show mix & mingle to celebrate the start of our adventure!
Run: November 5-22, 2026
Season Sponsors:
The Gobioff Foundation
Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners
Andrea Graham & Geoff Simon
Ticketing Sponsors:
Russell Buchan
Smith & Associates Real Estate
David Anton & Becky Ferrell-Anton
Opening Night Sponsors:
Andrea Graham & Geoff Simon
Before he became Peter Pan, he was a nameless orphan on a dangerous voyage. Before Neverland, there was a ship, a secret cargo, a fearsome pirate, and a band of young people discovering who they might become.
Peter and the Starcatcher is a wildly imaginative prequel to the Peter Pan story, filled with theatrical invention, quick wit, and swashbuckling adventure. With a few props, boundless energy, and the magic of ensemble storytelling, this Tony Award-winning play invites audiences of all ages to rediscover the power of imagination.
“Rick Elice’s Peter and the Starcatcher … is a larky séance with Barrie’s mythic characters: part pantomime, part story theatre, and all delight.”
– The New Yorker
“This Peter Pan backstory… is a hybrid blend of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, a Monty Python skit, and a Saturday morning cartoon.”
– Vogue
“With grown-up theatrical savvy and a child’s wonder… this show never stops flying.”
– The New York Times / Ben Brantley
“The Peter Pan prequel is a swashbuckling family adventure.”
– The Guardian