BWW Reviews: Yet Another PETER PAN Premieres at The Blank
Peter Pan The Boy Who Hated Mothers/by Michael Lluberes/directed by Michael Matthews/The Blank Theatre Company/through June 2
The latest incarnation of the J. M. Barrie classic Peter Pan by Michael Lluberes entitled Peter Pan The Boy Who Hated Mothers, now onstage at the Blank Theatre Company, has stellar production values, including imaginative staging by prolific director Michael Matthews and a delightfully versatile cast of actors, but bottom line - what's the point of Lluberes' adaptation? Promoted as a dark retelling, for me, it isn't dark enough. What is different is having the woman's point of view - that of Mrs. Darling and female Captain Hook (captivating Trisha LaFache) with their diametrically opposed yet brooding feelings about children - take center spotlight. It may pique some interest but in the final analysis its purpose is rather unfulfilling. It's the innovative, workshop-like execution of the primary action that entertains.
Having recently seen the major musical of Peter Pan with all its technological stagecraft and special effects for flying sequences and oceanic fight scenes, it's refreshing to see a band of actors, sort of like in Shakespeare's time, performing all the stunts and providing effects themselves. This requires a lot of physical work, and Matthews puts his ensemble into full and fast physical locomotion. Two cast members lift Wendy (Liza Burns) or John (Benjamin Campbell) or Peter (Daniel Shawn Miller) to create the semblance of flight, and two actors sit across from one another and manipulate large blue sheets to simulate ocean waves. Campbell, sitting on the second level, runs his hands through a large basin of water to simulate the rippling sound of oceanic water. This creative aspect of the play is the most fun to watch, and the entire ensemble are up to the physical stamina demanded.
Miller is called upon to make Peter Pan a rougher, totally uncivilized character and far less likable than other Peters. He does his work admirably, although, due to Lluberes concept, this is not the best Peter to remember, especially through the eyes of children, even when he triumphs and saves the day. Burns as Wendy is delightfully vulnerable, warm and loving, and Campbell makes brother John Darling aptly confused, insecure and out of place when faced with peril. Trisha LaFache is touching as Mrs. Darling, so caught up in the grief of losing her baby son Michael, and deliciously snide and despicable as the mean-spirited Hook. Jackson Evans is wonderfully amusing as Lost Boy Tootles and Smee as is David Hemphill as Slightly and Starkey. Amy Lawhorn is dexterous and graceful guiding Tinkerbell and essaying Tiger Lily as well as Lost Boy Nibbs and pirate Bill Jukes. Great fun to watch the cast alternate in quick changes from Lost Boys to pirates, and thanks to the permanent staircase stage right in this space, upper and lower levels of the stage are used very effectively by every member of the skilled cast. Again, kudos to Matthews' great staging!
Yes, this Peter Pan does have its merits. I loved Wendy's exuberant storytelling segments with the children all joyfully bundled on top of each other. (pictured) I particularly enjoyed seeing Peter dueling furiously with his archenemy the female Hook and then being kissed by Mrs. Darling, showing the feminine duality that like a pendulum swings between cruelty/attempted annihilation and loving maternal nurturing/care. And Mrs. Darling's last words are intriguing as she calls the children...heartless. One very fascinating moment occurs when at the end Peter removes the body of tiny baby Michael from the grave and carries it with him away from the scene as if on journey to Neverland. The lighting here adds a curious touch of spirituality. Interesting.... The mood is unstable, but again not as dark, foreboding and startlingly unpredictable as it cries out to be.
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