Imagine what it would be like to forever stay purely young, free, and always happy. Always laughing and dancing, spending time with friends, and exercising joy and pleasure is what childhood offers all.
The spectacular and adventurous play of Peter Pan symbolized youth in a very memorable and joyous way while it took place in Wilkins Theatre from February 20 to 28, 2015. The play was settled in Neverland, a fantasy island where time only exists as a metaphor. Peter Pan, featured by Austin Brecht, and his friends journeyed through an adventure where music and laughter become an eternal constant and exiting, wishful dreams turned into a living reality.
Director Holly Logue, chairman of the theatre department, has always been a huge fan of the character of Peter Pan. "Peter Pan is a musical I have long loved so I was delighted when the theatre faculty agreed to add it to this year’s season," Logue said. The primitive production quickly evolved from "three ideas that sprang from the script itself, was fleshed out through extensive research, and finally realized in the exciting and illuminating visuals of a Peter Pan like no other."
When the vibrant and high-spirited setting of Neverland was first witnessed on stage, the audience saw all kinds of musical performances done by distinct social groups. The Darling family was the central group of the play who set the tone of the story. Wendy Darling, starred by Emily Conklin, is a girl who was immediately befriended by Peter Pan in her hometown London and flies with him to Neverland. John Darling is the middle child and Michael Darling is the youngest of the three children who always carries his teddy bear with him wherever he goes.
The Lost Boys characters were inspired by animals to create the attitude of each person in the group to make them each as unique as possible. They symbolized the domestic and proper ways in the 19 century and portrayed a completely different kind of world at Neverland with crazy colors and steampunk.
Inspired by 19-century female warriors, the Indians were able to pick and choose characteristics they took on from their inspiration. The Indians were all given the creative opportunity to come up with names and backstories befitting to their personalities. Tiger Lily, featured by Elise Fineza, is the central figure of the Indians, playing the role as an Indian princess in the play and a loyal friend to Peter Pan.
The villainous Pirates were not forgotten in this production. Captain Hook, the pirate captain as well as the antagonist of the play, demands the Pirates to capture Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. Hook, played by Mark Zebro, Jr., despises Peter Pan to the extent that in the play, audience members witnessed him try to poison him. Thanks to Tinker Bell though, stared by Hanna Bergen, she drinks the poison and saves his life. But that wasn’t the end for Tinker Bell. Peter Pan tells the audience that if they clap loud and hard enough, they can revive Tinker Bell back to life. Surely enough, Tinker Bell was rescued and flew with magical wonders like never before.
When the Pirates succeed in capturing the Lost Boys, it is up to the one and only Peter Pan to save his friends. As Peter Pan and Hook fight each other, they both engage in an intensified battle on the ship, Jolly Roger.
Audience members who watched the play could clearly see that Peter Pan never wants to grow up, but Wendy, however, looks forward to entering adulthood. As the play came to an end, onlookers saw Wendy as an adult in London with a child of her own. Logue explained the focal point of the play. "Neverland springs from [Wendy’s] environment exploding and colliding with images from the books she has read, a place where fantasy becomes reality, until the dangers of life-long fantasy convinces her and the Lost Boys to return the world of reality and grow up at last."
Michael Ventral, a member of the audience who resides in Elizabeth, New Jersey, shared his experience of the play. "It was nice to see so many young kids attend the play. The atmosphere was so pure and the play is just simply great. I also liked how they had the crocodile and dog running around, I think that was funny," declared Ventral.
Peter Pan was a unique and original performance that reminded college students and other audience members what it was like to be a child, playing with toys and games, eating candy, watching movies, listening to bed time stories, and not being responsible for completing an irrational amount of homework and studying for exams. Sophomore biology major Ermelly Diaz was one of the many members of the audience who was taken back to their childhood. "Peter Pan reminded me of my childhood. When we first see Peter Pan, he jumps and flies on stage and it looked so magical to me that it made me want to fly [too]," said Diaz. "I have always enjoyed the story of Peter Pan and the way they came about it is very original."
