When I sat in my seat in the Bolton Theater to see Kenyon College Dance, Drama and Cinema Club’s (KCDC) Peter and the Starcatcher, which was directed by Visiting Assistant Professor of Drama Matthew Singletary, I was prepared for a play with jaunty music and witty comedy aimed at family audiences. Throughout the show, however, the music and comedy fell flat. While some great performances added depth and rhythm to the script, the lack of a consistent tone to the show prevented it from coalescing into a strong production.

The show jumped from presentational scenes played entirely straight, to tight comedic banter, to beats too dark for a kid-friendly show. I was lost as to what the intention of the production was. Despite how the performance began, with a dramatic speech from the entire cast, the playful and comedic tone didn’t emerge until later on. The show was brought to a halt by a disturbing scene of child abuse, which passed quickly yet stole any levity from the surrounding scenes. By the time the first act achieved a consistent comedic rhythm, the show suddenly moved into a stoic, stationary, full-ensemble musical number that left multiple audience members gasping in surprise. The song also wasn’t particularly tuneful.

Despite arriving at KCDC’s show having seen Peter and the Starcatcher performed before, and proceeding to see this production twice, I was confused by the plot multiple times. I found the blocking to lack a necessary geographic clarity in a show with many locations and simultaneous plotlines, especially during the ship collision at the end of the first act.

Act Two began with the second and final musical number in the show. While Peter and the Starcatcher is written with three musical numbers and interstitial piano music and sound effects, only two musical numbers were performed because of the lack of access to live music, according to Singletary. The already lengthy scene with a group of cannoli-chanting Italians (who replaced the Indigenous tribe from the original Peter Pan) dragged, but the energy of the show was saved by the emotional stakes between Molly and Peter. When the entire cast was onstage together again in the show’s final scene, the comedic talents of the whole ensemble were able to come together for the first time, ending on a high note. Even in my frustration, I couldn’t help but be moved by the final moments of the show.

The cast was led confidently by Tess Heffernan ’28 as Molly, the titular starcatcher, and Finn McWhirter ’26 as Peter. Heffernan made her KCDC debut in a role tailored to her strengths; she fully embodied a child growing into herself. As Peter, McWhirter shone in more subdued scenes, bringing a wonder and tenderness to a role that contrasted with the broad comedy of the play. In their scenes together, Heffernan and McWhirter were able to bring out the touching heart of the story. However, the true boon to the production was the abundance of great supporting performances.

Georgia Morton ’29 stole the show in the role of Smee. She had wonderful rapport with Lord Aster (played with a perfect stiff upper lip by Hyun Cho ’26) in one of the early scenes in the show. Morton maintained her comedic prowess, even playing against a confident and fun Beatrice Bunnell ’29 as Black Stache, the more scene-stealing role. The other highlight of the cast was the fantastically hilarious Benjamin Priestland ’27 as Alf, who had great chemistry with an entertaining Rachel Zarkowsky ’28 as Mrs. Bumbrake.

The most cohesive aspect of the production was its design: The costumes by Assistant Professor of Drama Chloe Cappuccilli effectively communicated both the style of show and the era represented in the production. The set design by Associate Professor of Drama Rebecca Wolf was gorgeous and perfectly versatile while maintaining a whimsical beauty, and the lighting design by Nicholas Williams ’26 in completion of his senior thesis requirement was effective at scene-setting. Was this show the right fit for this group of students? Given that so much music was eliminated, and so many comedic moments were lost, I can’t say the potential of Peter and the Starcatcher was fulfilled by the choices of  KCDC’s production. I left the theater having learned about new great actors in the Kenyon community and with a desire to see a show more fitting  for the students’ talents.