Monday, February 27, 2012

LOGOS: Peter and the Starcatcher

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Today: A close look at a new show logo, a short documentary of the creation of that logo, and a great trailer previewing the new play, Peter and the Starcatcher.

Childlike.  Simple.  Wonderful.  Nostalgic.  Ageless.  Am I talking about the logo for the new play Peter and the Starcatcher?  The legend of Peter Pan, upon which the play is based?  Or the strange, eye-catching and surprisingly emotional logo created for the Broadway production of the off-Broadway hit.  Actually, I'm talking about all three.


Peter Pan, a timeless myth that speaks to the wonder and innocence of childhood and an abundance of imagination, comes through in the image, and not just because of the title character.  The rustic use of antique wood makes the adult in me feel an instant sense of nostalgia.  The careful piecing together of the lettering and filling in of the letter "holes" is crude, but somehow honest.  I  look at that logo, and I go back in time to when, as a boy, a pile of wood blocks could be anything - a castle, a cave, a pirate ship.  Even the awkward star reminds me of hand-cutting stars out of construction paper and felt for a variety of elementary school projects.

I think one of the reasons the Peter Pan mythology (and, similarly, the fairy tale wonder of the Cinderella story) endures is because it is full of amazing flights of fantasy grounded by real human desires - in this case, the longing to stay young, play every day and face our fears without the added pressure of consequences.  Doesn't everyone wish they had ability to go back and relive some great childhood memories, but with the knowledge and wisdom of age?  Going back to Neverland is a welcome adventure in any form.

The play itself uses a variety of recycled and multi-purpose objects to create another world of wonder, where the cast and audience use their collective imaginations to create a ship, battles, chase scenes and and number of locations and exciting adventures.  The logo, which suggests imaginative use of the materials at hand, does just the same.  Peter and that star, it says, can take us on the adventure of a lifetime - and without technically perfect special effects afforded by computers.  These days, like the shows they represent, logos are just as computer generated.  It is kind of exciting and adventurous that Peter and the Starcatcher, on stage and on paper, is bucking that trend.

Grade: A!


Here is a short film on the actual creation of the artwork for the Peter and the Starcatcher logo:





Click HERE for The New York Times article and interview with logo designer and craftsman John W. Long.

And here's a taste of the whole show:





Jeff
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jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (E-mail)  @jkstheatrescene (Twitter) "Comment" below (Blogger)

1 comment:

  1. Funny enough, I just received "Peter and the Starcatcher" tickets in the mail today.

    ReplyDelete

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