Maryland Ensemble & Frederick Community College Partner for PETER PAN, Begin. 8/8

A community collaboration between Maryland Ensemble Theatre's (MET) MET-X and Frederick Community College's Theatre FCC will produce J.M. Barrie's timeless classic Peter Pan. The thrilling tale of the boy who never grows up is coming to the JBK Theatre at Frederick Community College (7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick) from August 8 through 17. In 2012 the partnership between the school and the theater company produced the world premiere theatrical production of Robin Hood: Occupy Sherwood. This year the partnership between Theatre FCC and MET-X, a division of MET that produces work outside of its professional mainstage season like this community theater project, hopes to build on the success of last year's Robin Hood show and involve even more of the community in what promises to be a great adventure.

Scottish novelist and playwright, J.M. Barrie, first introduced the character ofPeter Pan in his 1902 novel, The Little White Bird, but it was his 1904 stage play entitled Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, that contained the character's adventures that would be most familiar to today's audiences. Barrie continued to revise the script of the play until its publication in 1928. The following year he donated the copyright of the play to a children's hospital in London. The community production at FCC this August will be performing Barrie's published version of the play, although there have been numerous adaptations subsequent to its publication, most famously, a musical version.

Barrie's play tells the story of the Darling children, Wendy, John and Michaeland their adventures with the incorrigible, aerial, and never-aging Peter Pan. Peter flies Wendy and her brothers to Neverland so that she can act as a mother to his ragtag gang known as the Lost Boys. While in Neverland the dastardlyCaptain Hook kidnaps the Darlings and poisons the fairy, Tinkerbell. It's up to Peter to save the children and with the audience's help to save Tinkerbell too.

The show will be directed by the Artistic Director of The Fun Company, MET's family theatre, Julie Herber. Says Herber, "Much like Peter, this show, this story, never gets old. It's a great adventure with pirates, fairies, and innovative visual effects. We are taking a more creative approach to the story and incorporating a more contemporary industrial feel to the story. Everyone in the audience can identify with these ordinary kids being swept up in it all, but in the end needing to come home. The play is perfect for a community project like this because you can get so many kids involved. We have a cast of thirty-six actors in the show, and for many it's their first time being exposed to anything like this. Performing at the JBK Theatre gives us the opportunity to have not only a larger cast but also a larger audience than our intimate space at the FSK Hotel."

The cast includes veteran actors that have been seen in MET mainstage productions including Caitlyn Joy as Captain Hook, Reiner Prochaska as Mr. Darling, Shea-MikAl Green as Smee, Ashley Hall as Liza, Ken Poisson as Nana and Karli Cole as Jukes. The large cast of younger actors includes:Johnny Alderman, Bethany Brown, Cali Cammarata, Jarrod Celeste, Emily Cucchi, Sue Das, Sarah Deleonibus, Lilianna Griffee, Alex Harrington, Sydney Harrington, Kayla Hutchinson, Kira Hutchinson, Brielle Jobe, Brandon Kayda, Erin Lemonds, Gianna Malagari, Elora Paul-Martin, Kristen Proffitt, Jemma Przybocki, Wilson Seltzer, Grace Silva, Noah Sommer, Russell Sorbello, Sophie Stratyner, Georgiana Summers, Merrick Summers, Daniel Summerstay, Katiebelle Thompson, and KameRon Brownas Peter Pan.

The production team includes lights by Paul Shillinger, set design by JoAnn Lee, sound by Steve Younkins and costumes by Julie Herber.

There will be a total of eight performances between August 8 and 17 playing each Thursday and Saturday at 7pm, and Saturdays at 2pm at JBK Theatre at Frederick Community College (7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick). Tickets to Peter Pan are $21.50 (Adults), $16,50 (Seniors/Students) and may be purchased online at marylandensemble.org, by phone at (301) 694-4744, in person at the MET box office or beginning one hour prior to each performance at the JBK Theatre.