Notre Dame presents Peter Pan

By Rhea Guzman

Get ready to fly into a world of pirates and faeries where both fun and time are endless. After months of hard work, planning and rehearsals, Notre Dame presented Peter Pan during the first few weeks of November 2016, under the direction of Kristina Szilagyi. As soon as the lights came down, the Copeland Theater transformed into the innocent, childlike world of Wendy Darling.

Ciarese De Torres was one among the audience on the night of the play’s first production. De Torres is a first-year student at Notre Dame who plans to graduate with a degree in nursing. After attending the play, she noticed that, unlike the Disney version, Notre Dame’s production did not include Tiger Lily and the Native Americans. “I think that in excluding the scenes with the Native Americans, the focus is placed more on the innocence of the children in the play, which is what drives the story,” she comments.
Alexandra Mezza, a senior currently majoring in classics and minoring in English, took on the role of the vicious Captain Hook. “As soon as we were told the production this semester was Peter Pan, I knew I wanted to play him,” Mezza says. “Hook’s level of ferocity and humor made him an exciting character to play. I especially love his relationship with Smee.”

 

After starring in two other productions at Notre Dame, The Sentinel Lamppost and Macbeth, Courtney Strength was chosen to play the role of Peter Pan. Strength is a junior, currently double-majoring in English and Communication Arts. Her favorite part of playing Peter Pan was “interacting with the children in the audience.” “They’re the ones that really brought the magic to life for me,” she explains.

Director Kristina Szilagyi is very proud of both her cast and crew. “To see them work hard and have fun during the rehearsals was great!” she exclaims.

Shout-outs go to the cast of Peter Pan: Taylor Hinds, Molly Wolanski, Elizabeth Silcott, Abigail Noble, Don’she Cloude, Marion Smedburg, Courtney Anne, Chauna Krauss, Brittany Martinez, Alexandra Mezza, and Macie Bucher. Special thanks also go to the crew behind the scenes: Kristina Szilagyi, Geana Mangin, Shaunice White, Kayla Becker, Ben Kress, Alec Lawson, Robby Priego, Jessica Hutchinson, Maddie Winward, Dawn Kelly, and Faith Bocian. Many thanks to the cast and crew, as well as the Drama Program Student Advisory Board and those who financially supported this year’s production.

J.M Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, once said, “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” The next time you watch a movie or a play about the story of Peter Pan, let it inspire you to give your dreams the wings to fly.

 

 

 

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Feature photo by Rhea Guzman; Article photos by NDMU Theatre