Media Contact: Kathleen Bundy 276-619-3343 communication@bartertheatre.com May 23, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED ORIGIN STORY OF PETER PAN ARRIVES AT

BARTER THEATRE WITH IMAGINATIVE FAMILY FUN

ABINGDON, Va.—Developed by Disney, “Peter and the Starcatcher” brings rambunctious summer fun to Barter Theatre beginning June 9. “Peter and the Starcatcher” shows audiences a nameless, homeless young boy who conquers countless challenges and is transformed into Peter Pan. Discover how Peter Pan became an ageless hero as this story unfolds with more than 100 unforgettable characters. Orphaned and alone, the boy, who becomes Peter Pan, meets an exceptional young girl, a true leader in a time when most girls were followers. Together they journey the high seas and battle the dastardly Black Stache, a pirate who continues to terrorize the seven seas in search of a worth adversary. Based on the world-famous Starcatcher Series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, this former Broadway play has been commended in every corner of the country for its imagination, adventure and inspiration. Director Katy Brown said, “’Peter and the Starcatcher’ is such a tour d'force of imagination. In this play, there are pirates, shipwrecks, adventure, swashbuckling, comedy, chase scenes on land and sea, and so much more. This play reminds us that anyone can go to Neverland anytime, and that the child in us is still able to fly if we just let our imaginations soar.”

“Peter and the Starcatcher” is made possible by the corporate sponsorship of Johnston Memorial Hospital. Barter Theatre is funded in part by The Virginia Commission for the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts. Tickets to “Peter and the Starcatcher” start at $20 and can be purchased at bartertheatre.com or by calling the box office at 276-628-3991.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Molly Aster and the Boy look wondrously into the stars.