We all know Peter Pan eventually finds his way to Neverland. We know about Captain Hook, Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys and that unfortunate crocodile.

But how did any of that get started?

Shorter University takes audiences back to the beginning with Peter and the Starcatcher, playing October 1–3 at 7:30 p.m. at Tiscornia Theatre on the Shorter University campus.

Adapted for the stage by Rick Elice, the Tony Award-winning play is based on the 2004 novel Peter and the Starcatchersby Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. The story serves as an imaginative prequel to J.M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy, filling in some wonderfully creative blanks about Peter, Hook, Tinker Bell and even Mrs. Darling.

And this is certainly not a quiet little bedtime story.

There are heroes and villains, adventures at sea, shipwrecks, pirates, mermaids, Mollusks and a mysterious substance known as “starstuff.” Somewhere along the journey, an ordinary orphan begins becoming the Peter Pan generations of audiences have come to know.

The show combines comedy, fantasy and old-fashioned storytelling, creating the kind of theatrical adventure that can work just as well for adults who grew up knowing Peter Pan as it does for younger audiences discovering Neverland for the first time.

With Rome already packed with festivals, music, art and activities during the first weekend of October, Peter and the Starcatcher gives us another good reason to stay in Rome once the sun goes down.

Performances: Thursday–Saturday, October 1–3, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Tiscornia Theatre, Shorter University, 315 Shorter Ave., Rome

General Admission: $20