“Peter Pan… Or the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up” Debuted at Frostburg State University

“Peter Pan… Or the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up” debuted at Frostburg State University’s Performance Arts Center in the Drama Theatre.  Performances were on Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20, and Thursday through Saturday, April 25 to 27, at 7:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. showing on April 20.  The play was adapted by Mathew Earnest from J.M. Barrie’s play “Peter Pan” and his novel “Peter and Wendy” and directed by Chris McCabe.

"Peter Pan" begins with the Darling family in London.  Wendy, her parents and two brothers are in Wendy’s room talking.  Wendy's parents are on their way to a social event and she and her two brothers are on their way to bed.  In the middle of the night, Peter Pan sneaks into the siblings's room, looking for his shadow.  He finds it in a container.  In the midst of trying to attach it to himself, Wendy wakes up, talks to Peter Pan and sews his shadow on him.  She later wakes up her brothers to introduce them to Peter Pan.

Peter Pan tells the siblings about Never Never Land, a place where "children never have to grow up".  They are intrigued with Never Never Land and the Lost Boys, Peter's orphan friends.  The siblings also are intrigured by Peter's ability to fly and they desperately want to go with Peter Pan.  After thinking about theeir parents, they decide to come back home at a later date. 

Peter helps them fly by sprinkling faire dust on them. One-one-one the siblings began to rise in the air, flipping, somersaulting and soaring side-to-side. 

“I really enjoyed all of the artistic decisions that went into the show. There were a lot of different elements that they incorporated and I really enjoyed all of the choices that the directors took,” said Katie McCartney, a mass communications major.

Captain Hook and his pirates are on Never Never Land, wreaking havoc and fighting Indians, who conquered him.  He also is angry with Peter Pan and wants to see him because Peter chopped off his hand and has to wear a hook. 

Another fight scene ended with the Lost Boys being forced off the island and Wendy being kidnapped.  Peter is aware of want happened and vows to save everyone.  Wendy is tied to a pole at the top of the ship.

Peter Pan arrives on the ship, kills a few of the Captain’s pirates and crows like a rooster.  The Captain and the remaining pirates come up with a plan to send one of the pirates and then the Lost Boys out.  The reasoning is that it is better that they be killed than the Captain.  The pirate dies and The Lost Boys go in and the "rooster crows".  The Captain and his pirates let their guard down.  While they celebrate, the Lost Boys come out with Peter Pan, the rooster, and the fight ensues.  Peter Pan and Captain Hook draw their swords and the pirates and the Lost Boys battle.  Peter Pan and the Lost Boys beat the Captain and his pirates.

The Captain poisons Peter Pan's medicine while he sleeps.  When he awakes, Tinkerbell tells him when he is about to take it but he does not believe her at first; but, later realizes she is telling the truth.  Tinkerbell took the medicine first to save Peter Pan and is loses strength, she is dying.  Peter Pan asked the audience to help Tinkerbell get stronger by clapping if they believed it fairies.  There was thunderous applause.

After everyone is safe, Wendy decides to go back home.  Her brother and the Lost Boys agree to go with her, after Wendy promises the Lost Boys that her parents would adopt them.  Peter decided to stay behind.  After a tearful goodbye, everyone left.  Peter said he would see Wendy after his Spring Cleaning.

The siblings reunited with their parents years later.  Her parents agreed to adopt the Lost Boys.

Peter came back to Wendy several years later.  Peter Pan is upset when he sees Wendy is an adult with a daughter.  He asks Wendy why she grew up.  Wendy told him she could not help it.  He talked to Wendy’s daughter and she decides to fly away with Peter Pan.  Wendy tries to stop her and says she wishes she could go with them.  The play ends with Wendy’s daughter telling her mother that can't go because she does not know how to fly.

The play was not all dramatic and adventurous.  There were some humor.  For example, Wendy hoped Tinkerbell said something nice about her, but she did not.  She was jealous of Wendy and Peter’s relationship.  Wendy wanted to know what she meant to Peter and what their relationship was.  At one point in the play, Peter was confused and said Wendy was his mother.  Shawn Strivers, a voice major, liked the humor.  He said, “I really enjoyed the show in that it was hilarious.  It’s the way they incorporated it.  It wasn’t very Disney-fied.  They made it their own.  I really appreciated it.”

Tyler Parks, a theater major, agreed.  He said, “I really liked all of the different sort of aspects that went along with the show.  They didn’t really go for the Disney part.  They sort of made it their own."