University of Idaho Theatre Department’s “Wendy and Peter: Into Neverland” opens Thursday April 20.
The performance can be seen at 7:30 p.m. April 20-22 and 27-29, at 2 p.m. April 22 and April 29 and at 5 p.m. on April 30 at the Hartung Theatre.
“Pirates, you need to light a fire under your butts. You need to move faster,” co-director Christina Holaday said during rehearsals on Saturday, less than a week before opening night.
Many people, young and old, are familiar with the story of Peter Pan and know of the character Wendy Darling, the girl who ultimately decides to leave Neverland for adulthood.
“Wendy and Peter: Into Neverland” is a retell of the classic by the University of Idaho’s Theatre Department, told from the perspective of Wendy, played by Paige Erbele, to present a fresh, new perspective on the tale.
“It’s Wendy’s journey from front to end to discover what she truly wants most, which is to still be a kid and still have a mother,” Erbele said.
Erbele said this version of Wendy is different from Disney’s rendition of the character in the 1953 movie, “Peter Pan.” In the movie, Wendy seemed to be the damsel in distress, the one who needs Peter to save her and save the day, Erbele said.
Erbele’s portrayal of the character is a complete contrast to the one in the movie. She said the character she’s playing is one who is strong, has a lot of heart and stands up and protects the ones she holds dear.
In the story, Peter brings Wendy to Neverland to be a mother for Peter and the lost ones. Through this journey she realizes that she does not want such a life, and chooses to return home.
Sophomore Gail Harder plays Peter Pan, the boy who wants to be a little boy forever and have fun.
“Peter meets Wendy and I think that his ultimate struggle is this struggle between falling in love with Wendy and wanting her to be his caretaker of him, like a mother,” Harder said. “However, he doesn’t understand these feelings of attraction he has for Wendy, so he projects it as ‘you must be my mother if I feel this way for you.’”
Co-director Christina Holaday, an M.F.A. candidate, had the idea for the show a year and a half ago, and has since slowly developed and nurtured the idea.
“It’s a show about mothers and daughters. I think it will hit us in our hearts more than we’re used to, especially with this story,” Holaday said.
Holaday said she hoped the show will help audience members find the child within them and for everybody to have a little piece of Neverland in them.
Holaday said the cast got to be more involved in decision-making for their respective costumes. They won’t be the typical costumes for Peter Pan, she said.
Harder said audience members can expect lots of great fights and battles, beautiful projections, a puppet crocodile and, possibly, a pirate ship.
“The hero that you’d expect in Peter Pan may not be the one that you will see. Kind of like an unexpected twist at the end, I would say,” Harder said.
May Ng
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