IMAGINATIONS RUN FREE IN ‘PETER AND THE STARCATCHER’

The excitement and whimsy in the air can be found in the Studio Theatre wing on campus, where Mt. Hood theatre students hang out and have bonded between classes in the days leading up to tonight’s opening of “Peter and the Starcatcher.”

In talking with the main character actors – boy (Peter), played by Josh Smith; Molly, played by Liana Tarasenko; and Black Stache, played by Chris Wolfe – their confidence and passion for their roles was visibly apparent.

The three students are set to graduate this June and are finishing the year performing in the three biggest roles each has held in a Mt. Hood main stage production. If you’ve attended any Mt. Hood shows in the past, you may recognize these actors from productions such as “You Can’t Take It With You,” “Man of La Mancha,” or “Spring Awakening.” They’ve all completely immersed themselves in their involvement in theater in their time here at MHCC, and all of their hard work is paying off in “Peter.”

Intimate setting

This play is being performed in the Studio Theatre, as opposed to the College Theatre. This choice of venue was also made for “Spring Awakening.” Wolfe, Tarasenko, Smith, and director Mace Archer were in unanimous agreement that very little compares to the  experience of performing in and viewing plays in the Studio Theatre. As opposed to a gigantic auditorium, it provides an intimate setting with very little separation between the audience and the actors.

“It’s more fun to do it in the Studio Theatre because you’re closer to the people that have paid money to forget about life for a little while, so that’s the most enjoyable part for me,” said Wolfe. That being said, the actors also do enjoy the large-scale experience of the College Theatre.

“You have to be bigger both vocally and physically so the audience can see you and hear you” there, explained Tarasenko.

The intimacy of the Studio Theatre will help bring the magic to life in “Peter.” Smith said his favorite part of this production is the audience reactions and realizations as patrons uncover things that they never would’ve known about Peter Pan, and how he becomes who he is.

As opposed to using traditional stage props, actors have lots of personal items that are used to build each scene.

Wolfe explained, “For example, a bucket that I use in the show in one scene is supposed to be a bucket full of worms that’s being fed to the kids, and in the next scene I just use it as a puke bucket because I’m seasick.” Those imaginative methods are also used to depict levitation, bucking waves, and more.

Confidence grows

Smith explained that Archer always pushes the entire cast to stay focused and try to anticipate what’s coming next. The three main actors all expressed how much their focus has grown this term.

“I’m more in the show, more in the scene, and seeing what other people are doing so I can react off of them easier,” said Smith.

All three talked of making bigger choices, taking bigger risks, and growing more self-confident with this play. The past two years have prepared them for this.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is to be fearless with what you’re doing, and to not dwell too long on a single moment,” said Wolfe. “If something does go wrong, it’s in the past, it’s gone now, and you can work on the next big thing you have to do.”

With this production being a comedy, a lot of the choices the actors had to make dealt with making people laugh. Smith’s strategy was to go all-out, right from the beginning, and then adjust and change things from there. The cast had to be conscious of reactions to their lines, and constantly work to get them to a point where they consistently landed well and made people laugh.

“As funny as things may be, for [the characters] that’s really what’s going on, and for them it’s serious, so you kind of have to throw that aside and just be like, ‘No, this is my world, this is true for me right now,’ so it requires a lot of focus,” said Tarasenko.

From a precision-focused rap, to life lessons that can be learned from these young characters, to the humorous ways they contradict themselves, there’s a lot of exciting parts of this play to look forward to seeing live.

To dive into the origin stories of characters you know and love, reserve your spot and buy a ticket early. Visit mhcc.edu/theatreboxoffice.

Shows are at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday (May 11-12) and May 18-19, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 13, and May 20.