By McKenna Johnson
West Side Theatre Company‘s Peter Pan, playing at the Silver Lake Amphitheater in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a clever comedy that is perfect for a family outing. Based on J.M. Barrie’s famous novel, Samuel French’s adaptation of Peter Pan tells the story of the Darling children, who run away with a boy who can fly, thanks to his fairy friend, Tinker Bell. In Neverland, a place where children never grow up, they fight pirates and play house while Wendy Darling struggles with her conflicting goals. She wants to have fun with Peter, but she wants to eventually grow up and doesn’t want to break her parents’ hearts.
The audience sits outside on a hill overlooking the stage (which is a playground), so bring blankets or chairs if you so choose. My boyfriend and I got there early and had no problem finding a seat. However, the event listing originally said 7:30 PM when in fact the play was scheduled for 8:00 PM, so we had to wait for about 45 minutes.
The acting of the ensemble as a whole is hit or miss. Some deliveries had us laughing out loud for about a minute at a time, and at other times the actors had trouble holding my and my boyfriend’s attention.
My favorite actor from the play would probably have to be Mackenzie Clawson, who plays Wendy. Clawson’s performance is consistent and high energy, and I appreciate that she brings book-Wendy to life while giving the character a little something of her own.
I enjoyed Peter Pan’s stage time as well (Cade Peirce), and Peirce effectively illustrates Barrie’s point that children are “young and innocent and heartless.” Peirce projects just the right amount of Pan conceit — his Peter is endearing, but just barely. My favorite Pan moment is after Tinker Bell is locked in the nursery drawer, and Peter casually laughs, “She’s going to be so mad!” Peirce’s delivery is perfect.
Captain Hook (Ian Johnston) is also fun to watch perform, and Johnston — who plays both Mr. Darling and Hook, according to tradition — does a good job of differentiating his roles so children aren’t confused. My biggest issue with Hook was that his hook, which is a hanger like the one John plays with in the Disney movie Peter Pan, is sometimes on the right hand and sometimes on the left. (“Oh, no, John! It was the left hand.”)
Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed Michael’s (Jessie Castleton) toddler fits, and Slightly’s (Mariah Plitt) know-it-all character stood out among the Lost Boys as a presence onstage.
The set is a playground already located in the park, which strikes me as a smart choice because the playground equipment is both a simple set for the crew to work with and a thematically appropriate setting for Peter Pan. The one predictable issue with the set was that children ran all over it before and after the play, despite the production company’s request that parents keep their children off the set. So when you go, know that the playground is not open for business before or after the play.
The microphones generally work really well. A few times the audio cut out, but in general the sound design (Skye Orchard) and execution is effective, and the dialogue is clear.
I think that overall Director Aubrey Warner put together a funny and family-friendly production that is true to the novel it’s based on while incorporating modern elements for amusement. The play contains a number of references to modern culture, including Pokémon and Star Wars. Overall I think the comedy is effective, though the references to King George being king but also Pokémon being on air are confusing for adults who try to make sense of the play. The production of Peter Pan is thus timeless, albeit in an anachronistic sense.
However, the brilliance in the anachronisms is the effect on the production’s budget needs. The modern-day bits thrown in mean that the playground can be the set and that the cast members can wear whatever mismatching clothes they’ve found. The costume design (Jess Wallace Nielsen) references both the 1950s Disney movie and contemporary pop culture.
The fighting (M. Chase Grant) largely echoes that of the film adaptations of Peter Pan, and children will be sufficiently engaged by the props (Charity Brooks). Foam darts, lightsabers, bows and arrows, and plastic knives abound, and the mix looks like it came directly from a dream one of my little brothers might have had when they were younger. Some of the fighting sequences go on a bit long for my taste. Given how bunched up the characters sometimes are, I often couldn’t tell precisely what was happening. I was also concerned about a show in 2018 still using the term “redskin.” I had hoped that this could have been reworked, as I considered it offensive and thought other patrons might have, as well.
As a whole, West Side Theatre Company’s Peter Pan gave me a good laugh, and I was happy to see a play with characters and events that followed the plot and themes of the novel.
West Side Theatre Co. presents Peter Pan, based on the novel by J.M. Barrie.
Silver Lake Amphitheater, Pony Express Pkwy, Eagle Mountain, UT 84005
August 2–4, 6, 2018, 8:00 PM
Tickets: $6–$8
Contact
West Side Theatre Company Facebook Page
Peter Pan Facebook Event
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