Lookingglass 'Peter' Is An Exciting, Troubling Trip

There seem to be numerous works of fiction, particularly series of books or stories geared to the child in all of us, which emerged from late 19th  and early 20th century England. These works permeated the American psyche then, have yielded many stage and film adaptations in the intervening years, fixed in us an idea of what life in that era was like, and are with us still, even in this pluralistic and post-modern, post-post-World War II era. I'm thinking of "Winnie The Pooh" by A. A. Milne, "Mary Poppins" by P.L.Travers, "Alice In Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, and even the Sherlock Holmes books by Arthur Conan Doyle and the later adventures of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie.

Of course, there were many other authors from across the pond writing about their world, and adult Americans loved those, too. One could even argue that "My Fair Lady," adapted by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe from George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," belongs in the list of artistic achievements set in and reflecting the roughly Edwardian English way of life. Indeed, the success of Walt Disney's film adaptation of "Mary Poppins" lead to the creation of movies like "Bedknobs And Broomsticks" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," both based on some sort of children's book or other and set in that magical, mystical time when England ruled the world (but not us, thank the Founding Fathers). And thank God that they spoke that funny, mostly understood brand of English, as they were just ever so slightly more cultured, curious and complicated than we were. American children were, and are, enchanted. 

The myth of "Peter Pan," the boy wouldn't grow up and who stands as the enduring creation of Sir James M. Barrie, falls into this same group. The subject of a Walt Disney animated film and two different Broadway musicals in the early 1950s alone (one with a score by two teams of composer-lyricists and the other with music by Leonard Bernstein, no less), Barrie's chief narrative thread is really about Wendy, the teenage girl who flies away from her home (younger brothers in tow), play-acts at being a mother to a bunch of boys nearly as old as she is, and then faces the fact that she must become a mother for real in her own time and place. Peter never changes. 

But oh, those adventures! The flying, the fairies, the pirates, the Lost Boys, the island known as Neverland, the crocodile who swallowed a ticking clock, swashbuckling sword fights and Nana, the dog/nurse--they all endure alongside Peter, essential to the well-known story and delighting six or so generations of kids by now. Not to mention all that work by Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan and Cathy Rigby, as flying, singing, fighting stage Peters, complete with some contraption or other to disguise their, er, womanhood. 

The themes of growing up, childhood play, trust, responsibility, love, home, death, past, present, future, parenthood, revenge, reality and fantasy are all present in a new work, "Peter Pan (A Play)" which opened last Sunday and runs through December 12, 2010 at the Lookingglass Theatre Company in the Water Tower Water Works, at Michigan and Pearson in Chicago's Magnificent Mile neighborhood. Adapted and directed by Amanda Dehnert, an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University, the show was first mounted at Northwestern in 2009, and is receiving its professional premiere at Lookingglass. 

And what theatricality! A cast of 17 athletic and uninhibited actors throws themselves, literally, into this production, many of them flying with ropes and harnesses and pulleys in full view, others operating the flying, running to change costumes, climbing under the audience's rows of seats or up to the rafters of the industrial/gymnastic environmental theater, speaking Barrie's words or modern-day snippets of phrases with nary a British accent in sight but with a full sense of the propriety (or impropriety) of the actions they consider or carry out. 

It is thrilling being so close to that much hard work, that much play, that much physical action and so much theatrical wonder. The first act of this new script (though some of Barrie's words ring as familiar as the Bible or Shakespeare to my ears) gets Peter to Wendy's bed in the Darling house, and gets Wendy, John and Michael to Neverland, where the meet the Boys, Lily (whose origins remain somewhat cloudy to me, I confess), Tinkerbell (the fairy and Wendy's rival for Peter's affections), Captain James Hook and his sidekick Smee, and their pirate compatriots. The second act ventures into more unknown parts of Barrie's writings before returning us to the familiar end of the story, with a slightly underwhelming end to Captain Hook's saga, and a coda that is sweet but loses sight of Peter a little bit too much for my taste. 

Kay Kron gives a lovely, heartfelt, textured and intelligent performance as Wendy. She revels with excitement, thinks through her next move with wit and wonder, and experiences the joys and fears of puberty in ways both grounded and graceful. I look forward to seeing this wise and energetic young actress again. 

Northwestern University senior (and one of the four current Wildcats in the cast) Ryan Nunn seems about as perfectly cast as Peter as an adult could be. He is fearless here, strong and a natural leader of other boys, befuddled by the deeper aspects of existence but sure of his own experiences and abilities. Charisma and impetuousness, and just a touch of sadness, come from his every pore. This is a significant downtown debut for him, and he has a very bright future, indeed. 

All the actors in this production deserve (and receive) high praise for the sheer physicality of what they are asked to do. It's a big space, and they fill it! To mention just a few names, Royer Bockus is hilarious as Nana, wry and youthful and not much help, but a great deal of lovely fun. Jamie Abelson as John is a boy in search of a role model, eager for Peter to be that model but a little too smart to fully commit to it, I think. Thomas J. Cox as Captain Hook gives an intense, metal/punk performance, evil and domineering in leather and who knows what, fully committed to this concept and relishing his three-pronged hook. Molly Brennan as Smee works hard to make her character more than just someone for Hook to talk to, and Amy J. Carle is an unconventional but essential Mrs. Darling, as well as a crazed pirate from some planet Barrie would never have imagined. 

The physical production (and I do mean physical) come courtesy of Dan Stratton (sets include an enormous shower curtain, rolling construction platforms and the audience on two sides, like a high school gym), Melissa Torchia (utilitarian and adaptable costume pieces with Edwardian and post-apocalyptic origins, flying harnesses in full view), Lee Fiskness (lighting a house, an island, creating shadows and stark tableau, arena rock glamness and nocturnal imaginations in harsh and subtle boldness) and William Anderson (mattresses and chalk and swords work wonders). Matt Hawkins directed the flying and movement (guts to the wind and straight on till morning), and Andre Pleuss supplies some atmospheric music and handled the ambitious sound design chores, along with Michael Griggs. 

Director/adapter Dehnert's vision of this story and her execution of the same tackle head on the ways to bring to theatrical life each moment of the familiar story (building a house for Wendy, helping Tinkerbell survive an accidental poisoning, learning to fly, etc.) and also includes some less familiar episodes. The Lost Boys are nicely individualized, and we learn the fate of all the characters we know so well. I'm not quite sure that the story cried out for this particular treatment, but it is thoroughly and assuredly implemented and is definitely a good choice for a family of theater-friendly teenagers and thrill-seeking adults. I enjoyed it, but I respected it even more. I admit I found the prologue a bit tiresome, and the ending could be tighter, but I was never, ever bored. Dehnert and Lookingglass are to be commended, even honored with your attendance, if you want to see a singular and definitely 21st century take on a time honored, dare I say, immortal tale of western literature. Why do we all grow up? And what about our childhood fun--was it all for nothing? Come and grapple anew, especially if you want to see somebody hurtling through the air. Can I try? Did I ever try? Did I, in fact, grow up? 

Peter Pan (A Play) runs through December 12th at the historic Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Avenue at Pearson. Tickets are $20-62, and parental guidance is suggested for children under 12. To purchase tickets, call 312-337-0665 or visit www.lookingglasstheatre.org.  

Photos of Kay Kron, Ryan Nunn and the cast by Sean Williams

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