Thirteen O’Clock Theatre Presents Peter and the Starcatcher, which is free for students, on July 22, 23, 29 and 30 at McAllen High School auditorium

Featured: The cast of Peter and The Starcatcher. Top row, from left: Daniel Garza of Edinburg; Jonathan Taméz of McAllen; and Priscilla Perales of Stuard, Florida. Second row, from left: Annemarie Alaníz of Alamo; Óscar Camacho of Cadereyta Jiménez, Nuevo León, Mexico; and Zebastian Duchene of McAllen. Third row, from left: Mauricio González of Mission; Immanuel García of Alton; and Micaela Cantú of Mission. Fourth row, from left: Selena Flores of La Victoria; Joshua Duazo of McAllen; and Alan González of Mission. Bottom Row: Gerrad García of Edinburg; Diana Furman of McAllen; and Ricky Godínez of McAllen.

Featured, from left: Zebastian Duchene of McAllen; Joshua Duazo of McAllen; Immanuel García of Alton; Daniel Garza of Edinburg; Mauricio González of Mission; Selena Flores of La Victoria; Jonathan Taméz of McAllen; Annemarie Alaníz of Alamo; and Micaela Cantú of Mission.

Photographs By JASON BARRERA

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Thirteen O’Clock Theatre Presents Peter and the Starcatcher, which is free for students, on July 22, 23, 29 and 30 at McAllen High School auditorium

By LEXI MORRIS

The Neverland has set its course, and it’s sailing into the Rio Grande Valley.

Lauded by the New York Times as “the most exhilarating storytelling in decades”, Peter and the Starcatcher is a hilarious, action-packed play making its Rio Grande Valley premiere thanks to Thirteen O’clock Theatre in McAllen.

Filthy pirates, island natives, and flying children from the world of Peter and the Starcatcher make audiences wish they all could be kids forever.

Climb aboard the Neverland and journey to the land of Rundoon with Molly Aster and the lost boys as they try to protect the Queen’s secret trunk full of magical “star stuff” from the pirates.

Peter and the Starcatcher is reminiscent of the favorite Peter Pan stories, as well as the pirate adventures played out by children everywhere. This prelude to the classic tale is packed with imaginative staging and cleverly written humor for adults as well as the whole family.

Peter and the Starcatcher upends the century-old legend of Peter Pan with this wildly theatrical and innovative reboot of how a miserable orphan came to be the boy who wouldn’t grow up.

Peter and the Starcatcher, written by Rick Elice, was adapted from the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Disney’s theatrical sensation of the production premiered on Broadway in 2012 and went on to win five Tony Awards.

The local production is directed by Jason C. Barrera (the company’s Artistic Director) and will feature a cast of 15 actors from cities across the upper Valley.

Peter and the Starcatcher will be showing July 22, 23, and then July 29 and 30, 2016.

All performances will be held at the McAllen High School auditorium, located at 2021 La Vista Avenue.

All shows begin at 8 p.m. General admission is $10. All students 18 and under will be admitted free of charge because Thirteen O’clock Theatre wants all of the Valley’s young swashbucklers to see this classic prelude to Peter Pan.

Thirteen O’clock Theatre is now a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization and is transitioning from a community theatre group to a nonprofit professional theatre company. Their mission is to produce regional premieres of critically acclaimed theatre, develop original stories of South Texas, and to provide accessible arts education for all.

Since it’s founding in 2008, Thirteen O’clock Theatre has staged 18 productions, many of which were original new stories. Thirteen O’clock Theatre is led by Jason Barrera (Artistic Director), Jonathan Torres (Executive Director), John Castilleja (Director of Education), and Alexandria Domínguez (Production Manager).

Barrera, of McAllen, has a degree in Theatre Studies from Ithaca College and has been teaching and directing theatre with McAllen ISD for five years.

Torres, of Mission, graduated from UT-Pan American with a degree in Theatre & Film. He has worked as a freelance designer and technical director for theatre and films in the Rio Grande Valley, Los Angeles and beyond.

Castilleja, of McAllen, has a Bachelor’s Degree from Santa Fe University of Art and Design and a Master’s Degree in Theatre from the University of Houston. He is currently the theatre arts director at Edinburg North High School.

Domínguez, of Edinburg, has a degree in Theatre from Santa Fe University of Art and Design and has been stage managing for Thirteen O’Clock Theatre since 2013.

Also since 2008, Thirteen O’Clock Theatre has been providing a home for passionate theatre artists in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.

Co-founders Alex Tey of McAllen and Brisa Muñoz of Edinburg began the company by bringing together theatre students and professionals during the summer months to create high quality, innovative performances for the community.

Thirteen O’Clock Theatre has produced 18 stage productions, focusing on original stories and regional premieres of newly established plays.

In 2012, the Summer Intensive Theatre Training (SITT) program was created to provide acting based arts education for students throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

More information is available at thirteenoclocktheatre.org or by calling 956/462-2413. The organization also can be found on Facebook.