Starstuff: a magical and powerful dust from the stars. In this world, Starcatchers must keep starstuff out of the wrong hands.
ACT ONE: England, 1885
At a British dock in the year 1885, Starcatchers Lord Aster and his daughter Molly board two ships: Lord Aster on The Wasp with a trunk full of starstuff; and Molly on The Neverland with a decoy. Aboard The Neverland, Molly encounters three orphans: Ted, Prentiss, and a quiet boy with no name.
Meanwhile, Lord Aster’s ship has been taken over by the nefarious Black Stache and his gang of pirates. They hold Lord Aster captive and demand he open the trunk. The pirates manage to open it, only to discover that it is full of sand. They realize that the real trunk must be aboard The Neverland. Lord Aster uses his magical amulet to warn Molly of the approaching ship. She promises to bring the trunk of real starstuff to him as soon as the pirates catch up with them.
After a wild chase, the two ships collide, and mayhem begins. Lightning strikes The Neverland, causing it to split in two. The captain of the ship, Slank, is pushed into the water, and Black Stache goes to find the trunk.
Once Black Stache finds the trunk, along with the boy who is sitting on top of it, he attempts to convince the boy to hand it over by giving him the name Peter. Peter refuses and Black Stache throws him overboard. Molly has kept her promise and has the real trunk aboard The Wasp, but seeing Peter in need of help, she throws the trunk into the water so he can use it to float to a nearby island ("Swim On").
ACT TWO: Mollusk Island
Peter, Ted, Prentiss, and Molly all make it to the island, just narrowly escaping being sacrificed to the crocodile, Mister Grin, by the Mollusks. They resolve to get the trunk back aboard The Wasp, but Peter gets lost and meets a mermaid, Teacher, who gives him the surname Pan.
Once Peter Pan meets back up with Molly and the boys, they get the trunk to the beach and are about to take it to The Wasp when Black Stache ambushes them. They fight well, but Black Stache captures Molly and requires the trunk for her life. Peter decides Molly is more important than the starstuff and hands over the trunk, but the pirates open it only to discover it is empty. Lord Aster arrives on the island and helps everyone understand what happened to the starstuff. Molly accepts the reality of dealing with magic, and Peter’s world changes forever.
Source: https://illinoisshakes.com/plays/past/pats
