Bag&Baggage Presents PETER/WENDY

"It's not some new crazy adaptation, but the story stripped down to its bare elements," says playwright Jeremy Bloom when discussing his 2013 play Peter/Wendy, an adaptation of J.M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy and The Little White Bird. "The book was intended to be read aloud to children, but it was also written and continuously rewritten by a person in a state of perpetual loss." Bag&Baggage Productions takes its nod of inspiration directly from Bloom as they bring his script to life this May, working with sparse yet highly imaginative staging, and leaning into some of the darker elements of the narrative.

"Bloom's script is deceptively simple," says Cassie Greer, director of Bag&Baggage's production. "You read it once and are charmed; you read it again, and notice how sparse it is; you read it a third time, and cracks in the fairytale veneer begin to come to the forefront. In creating this show at Bag&Baggage, we're exploring the more ambiguous and uncomfortable areas of the story, working to physicalize some of the deeper psychology inherent in the text."

Bloom's script also calls for some less-traditional casting of the iconic characters of Neverland, encouraging "diversity in terms of gender, body type, ethnicity, and age," in addition to highlighting the personal qualities of each actor. Bag&Baggage adheres to these stipulations as well, with an ensemble of seven diverse performers bringing the story to life, more than half of whom are new to the B&B stage. Associate Artist Phillip J. Berns plays the titular Peter Pan, alongside newcomer Kayla Kelly's Wendy; company members Kymberli Colbourne and Jeremy Sloan are joined by Justin Charles, Jacquelle Davis, and Cambria Herrera to round out the cast.

"I love the diverse and vibrantly creative group of people we have in the room telling this story, " Greer says. "Each actor has played a crucial role in creating the staging, which is highly physical and begs a lot of imaginative investment from the audience. This is definitely a 'Peter Pan' like you've never seen it before." B&B designers help bring this inventive world to life, with Jim Ricks-White's scenery, Jeffery A. Smith's lighting and projections, Melissa Heller's costumes, and a soundscape composed by Evan D. Lewis.

Peter/Wendy is the final offering of Bag&Baggage's 2018-2019 Season at downtown Hillsboro's Vault Theater; the show runs May 2nd through 19th, with shows taking place at 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, and 2:00pm on Sunday afternoons.

"We have a habit of taking well-known stories and turning them on their heads here at B&B, and this show falls right in line with that tradition," says Greer. "In fact, Peter/Wendy lends itself to a style of storytelling that our audiences don't normally see on the B&B stage - one that physically and viscerally invites people to step outside of their comfort zones and into the world of the unknown along with us. I'm excited to share this unique experience with our audiences."

Tickets and more information can be found online at www.bagnbaggage.org.