La Jolla Playhouse planning 'Pan' prequel

LA JOLLA, Calif., July 29 (UPI) -- California's La Jolla Playhouse has announced it plans to present a new Peter Pan play, "Peter and the Starcatchers," in the winter of 2009.

To be performed by special arrangement with Disney Theatrical Productions, the play is based on Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's popular novel, "Peter and the Starcatchers."

The prequel to J.M. Barrie's classic tale, "Peter Pan," is to be performed in the La Jolla Playhouse's Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre from Feb. 13 through March 8 next year.

Written by Rick Elice, directed by Roger Rees and co-directed by Alex Timbers, "Peter and the Starcatchers" follows young orphan Peter and his mates as "they sail aboard the Never Land in a high-seas adventure, battling pirates to keep secret a mysterious and dangerous cargo," the theater troupe said in a press release.

The show is being presented as part of the La Jolla Playhouse's Page to Stage development program, in which audiences experience the "birth" of a play. Throughout the rehearsals and run of the show, the playwright and director make constant changes in response to audience reactions and direct feedback.