Review: WENDY'S PETER PAN at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum

Peter Pan has been a part of our mythology since he first appeared as a character in Scottish playwright and novelist J.M. Barrie’s play Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up in 1904 (after first appearing as a supporting character in his novel The Little White Bird two years prior). What really embedded him in our cultural consciousness, though (at least in the States), is Disney’s 1953 animated film, which was followed by remakes, revisits, musicals, an anime series, and even a psychological term for immature men. He and his story are evergreen.

Now, Ellen Geer has adapted the play using a framing story of Wendy Darling (Geer, who is also the voice of Tinker Bell) as an adult recounting to her children her youthful adventures, when she (young Wendy played by Quinnlyn Scheppner), her younger brother John (Jaz Bennassar), and youngest brother, Michael (Julius Geer-Polin) were whisked away to Neverland (called here Neverlandia, for some reason) by Peter (Gabbi Beauvais), where they encounter his ragtag tribe of compatriots, the Lost Boys; a mermaid (Robyn Cohen); Native American princess Tiger Lily (Ianthe Marini); and villainous Captain Hook (Lynn Robert Berg) and his pirate crew.

The framing device, with Wendy telling the story to her children, is odd and unnecessary when there appears to be no real deviation from the original story. There’s no sense that we’re being given a take only Wendy could have as implied by the title. It’s just Peter Pan. It could be told straightforward, trimming the conceit, as the show pushes its runtime already, bumping on two hours in a presentation for children. Speaking of which, it’s also odd that, since this is aimed at children — well, families — WENDY’S PETER PAN starts so late in the evening, ending around 10 p.m.

Adding to the oddness is that Wendy’s children have the same names she and her brothers did, for seemingly no reason, with the same actors playing both roles. The setting of the framing story has been moved to the U.S., though the time is unclear. The 1930s? 1940s? And why is Wendy holding a book throughout the show? She’s telling her children a story that happened to her, not reading a fairy tale from a collection.

Geer is a strong performer, especially bringing a girlish joy to Tinker Bell. Bennassar gives his John an impish spark of vim and verve, Berg is clearly having a ball as both cowardly blowhard Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, and John E. Phillips is a standout pulling double duty as Hook’s second in command, Mr. Smee, and Nana, the Darlings’ dog. Many of the performers, however, appear rushed, almost stumbling over lines to get them out. And with 10 Lost Boys (upped from six in the original text), there are a lot of actors running around the stage at points; there are so many, it’s hard to keep them straight as none of them have a chance to really pop, getting lost in the crowd. Adding to the frantic energy is the scene when Tinker Bell (spoiler alert for the one person who doesn’t know the story) dies. Peter urges the audience to clap along if they believe in fairies, hoping to infuse his beloved companion with life again. It’s intended to be tearful and harrowing — at least for children — but it happens so quickly, there’s never any suspense, and thusly no emotional heft.

Nestled in Topanga Canyon, the setting is enchanting, the perfect backdrop for this show with its gardens and creek and chorus of frogs serenading from the surroundings. The set is expansive, including the interior and exterior of the house, three beds in a nursery, a balcony, a side balcony, and a bridge. Geer uses the grounds around the stage to great effect, turning them into Neverlandia, giving the actors a real playground to caper and cavort in.

While WENDY’S PETER PAN would be better served by trimming the fat, focusing on more sharpened performances, and allowing its performers room to breathe, children, despite its evening start time, will likely appreciate the show more than adults who will take notice of its distracting bumps and peculiarities.

WENDY’S PETER PAN is performed at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Boulevard, through October 4. Tickets are available at theatricum.com or by calling (310) 455-3723.

Photos by Ian Flanders

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