To even attempt to touch a theatrical staple , the purveyor must be prepared to tiptoe on the line between remake and rendition. They have to be prepared not to simply regurgitate theme and concept, but to give the audience the illusion of the first time with the utmost respect to the original piece. Tallwood’s production of Peter/Wendy student-directed by Jake Phillips was such a welcomed performance because it managed to do just that. What the cast and crew brought to the forefront was a playfully grim interpretation of a childhood classic, offering strikingly superb balances between dark and frolicsome.

The set was minimalistic, opening with a map of Neverland, walls adorned with leaf-like camouflage and the signature black blocks. These squares were maneuvered flexibly by virtually invisible cast members dawned in all black to serve as any and every prop and set piece. It shrouded the mind’s ability to distinguish fantasy from reality and if the audience truly believed, they could see Peter take flight. Cast and Crew were infused into the set with the use of the stars and moments of musical interludes. The cast exuded energy and imagination. Each character was well cast with the chemistry between Peter and Wendy showing so.

Peter/Wendy is based off the novel Peter Pan or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up, which weaves the tale of an eternally youthful boy by the name of Peter Pan who lives in a place called Neverland. This seemingly jubilant and innocent plot is ridden with somber pauses and moments to make the audience reflect within oneself.

Similar to past productions in its technical array, it was in a class all its own when it came to vision. Prior plays have been either strictly comedic or staunchly dramatic with the slightest hint of the other genre, or even a twist at the end, but Peter/Wendy was an unparalleled mix of fantasy, drama, and comedy. It attempted to make the audience delve deeper into the story beyond Peter Pan in an effort to figure out why Peter was who he was and who he came to be, but only ever so subtly and that was perhaps the most frustrating of the whole experience: only halfway being submerged. There were moments when it seemed as though it could have went so much deeper, but did not.

Phillips took a risk in pursuing a classic and it paid off. He made ample use of the talent available at Tallwood, and was able to generate a fantastical performance.