Peter/Wendy, a darker-told story of the notorious Peter Pan, will be performed as the fall play by the Pascack Valley High School Theatre Department on Nov. 16, 17, and 18.
Peter/Wendy, written by the author Jeremy Bloom, is a darker take on the original story of Peter Pan.
According to PV senior, Production Stage Manager, and the International Thespian Society (ITF) president Evelyn Jansen, the play entails “a more symbolic take on the classic tale.” That “[fleshes] out more of what having someone who stays a kid forever can actually mean negatively,” Jansen said.
The majority of the students in the cast and crew of Peter/Wendy are underclassmen with a handful of seniors who have been in theatre for multiple years. PV Theatre Director Thomas Lupfer sees this compilation of students as a strength the program maintains for this school year.
Describing this year’s cast, Lupfer said, “It definitely [has] a younger vibe. And that has been nice because watching [the underclassmen] come into their own has been exciting.”
Jansen emphasized that the younger cast members that signed up this year have “theatre experience under their belts, [bringing] a lot more experience and major energy to the cast.”
This year, the lead roles of Peter and Wendy were awarded to sophomores Anna Stern and James Campenot. Both Stern and Campenot maintain strong and positive feelings towards Valley Theatre in different ways.
Stern highlights the way that the cast establishes a community, almost like a family.
“You spend so much time with these people, and you just grow to trust them,” Stern said. “I came in last year not knowing a lot of people from Hillsdale… and, immediately, you meet amazing friends and [make] true friendships.”
While Campenot also touches on the great relationships created through theatre, he discusses how acting makes him feel. As someone who enjoys being on stage, he emphasizes how it feels to act as someone else—even for a short while.
He finds it particularly favorable “When your life kind of relates to the art [because] it’s nice to play a relatable character,” Campenot said.
In this fall’s play, Campenot finds relatable aspects of himself within Peter Pan.
Moving toward the future, the theatre department is planning to perform High School Musical as its 2024 spring performance. Collectively, the cast and crew are excited about this show, specifically the choreography.
Lupfer describes High School Musical as a “fun” show, one that “doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
In addition to the performances, Jansen expresses that the department is looking to have more activities with Pascack Hills this spring to bring more students from the district into the theatre programs.
“That’ll be really great to build more of a connection between theatre and a larger community,” Jansen said.
The PVHS Theatre Department looks forward to its fall performances; as Lupfer exclaimed, “Come see Peter/Wendy!”
