BWW Interviews: Megan Stern of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER on Tour

Where are you from?

I am from Atlanta, GA.

What made you get interested in performing?

My dad really loved musicals, and we listened to a lot of cast recordings when I was growing up. He took me to see plays, musicals, and operas whenever possible, and I got hooked pretty early on.

Tell us about PETER AND THE STARCATCHER.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER is a prequel to Peter Pan. It's the story of how Peter Pan comes to be Peter Pan, and it's told in an extraordinarily unique way. The script (by the wonderful Rick Elice) is delightful. Sophisticated and clever, bawdy and gritty, hilarious and genuinely moving all at once. And the co-directors Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, as well as movement director Stephen Hoggett, have staged things so creatively that we actors tell this kind of epic adventure story using almost exclusively our own bodies, some low-budget props, and the audience's imagination. It's quite special.

Who are the other actors and what have you learned from working with them?

There is an ensemble of twelve actors onstage, all of whom play multiple roles to fill out all the characters in the plot. Everyone in this cast is so funny and so skilled, and I constantly learn new things from them just by observing the work they do onstage. I've also gotten some excellent traveling tips from the cast members who have been on national tours before!

How has PETER AND THE STARCATCHER influenced you to live your dreams?

Well my character in the show, Molly Aster, is this really badass young girl. She's unapologetically smart and ambitious. She is haughty and awkward, and she has an ego that gets in her way sometimes, but she is also incredibly generous and loving. She is a real heroine and a pretty special role model for girls and women alike. Even though I'm a grownup, I feel like I can take a page out of her book.

If you had not gotten into show business what would you have done?

I don't know if this counts, because it's not completely unrelated to show business, but I'm a huge documentary film nerd. I think if I weren't an actor I would've pursued that.

Do you have any advice for someone trying to get into the business?

I'd say figure out what part of "the business" really excites you in particular. Like what kinds of musicals or what kinds of plays make you really happy, and then find out as much about those things as you can. Educate yourself as much as possible and follow your own curiosity and passions. Don't just try to do anything you can simply to be on the stage. Go for what you really love and what really speaks to you.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER plays at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio until October 27, 2013. Tickets are available by going to www.majesticempire.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jenny Anderson

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