Southeast's production of 'Peter Pan' opens Wednesday at the Bedell Performance Hall

Like its central character and the magic island he rules, the musical "Peter Pan" never grows old.

With professional choreography and costuming -- and flying -- the theater and dance department of Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus will present the play in the Bedell Performance Hall next week.

Director Aaron Tuttle said there have been many adaptations of Scottish novelist J.M. Barrie's works, but this one is unique.

"I was assistant director of a national tour with Cathy Rigby 10 years ago, and our production will be a little more dangerous in places and more fun and silly in others with the pirates," said Tuttle, a Southeast theater professor.

In the lead role is guest artist Emily S. Grosland, a professional actress who has performed off-Broadway in New York City. She also had roles in regional and touring companies in productions ranging from "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" to "The Diary of Anne Frank."

Emily S. Grosland

"Our New York actress ... has played the role [of Peter Pan] before with different companies, so when you see and hear her, you'll say, 'That's Peter Pan.'"

Grosland was cast as Peter Pan after Southeast student Emily Stricklin, who was to have played Peter, and two other university students were dismissed from the production earlier this month as a result of their December arrests on misdemeanor drug and alcohol-related charges, according to The Arrow, Southeast's weekly student publication. The three are scheduled for trial Tuesday before Judge Scott Thomsen. Along with Stricklin, 19, John Pletka, 18, and Daniel Kellett, 19, were arrested Dec. 17 and charged with possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana, unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and being visibly intoxicated minors.

The cast of 25, with 22 theater and dance majors and two local 10-year-old children, has been rehearsing since Jan. 13 with Hall Associates Flying Effects, a Chicago company that provides flying effects for a range of productions, and R.C. Annie, a London-based dramatic action company that taught students stage combat -- necessary for Capt. Hook's pirates.

Southeast seniors Jacob Buckenmyer, Matthew Thierry and Alyssa Cooper are in the key roles of Capt. Hook, Mr. Smee and Wendy Darling.

"We brought in Emily to play Peter and have been filling her in with the music, blocking and dance," Cooper wrote in an email. "On top of this, we've been flying! This is such a fun show to work on."

Using theatrical terms for reading the play aloud as a cast and then practicing the stage movements, Cooper said, "I love the fact that we started with table work rather than the blocking.

"It gave us a chance to talk with Aaron [Tuttle] about how we feel about the characters' actions and reactions. This is the most professional show I have worked on, and we have Aaron as director and Bart Williams as the fight choreographer. With all these professionals at the top of their game, how can this show not be amazing?"

Cooper said she had also enjoyed doing sketches of the play for community organizations.

The set designer is Justin Barisonek, and the lighting designer is Travis C. Richardson. The costumer is Will Lowry of New York City, who, Tuttle said, "decided the color palette, architecture and personalities of the characters and world.

"Barrie says Neverland is different for everyone, depending on that person's thoughts," Tuttle said in an email. "So this Neverland we see is Peter's, which had scattered and fragmented memories and objects he has collected on his journey to find his home.

"This work has been done numerous times and has many iterations. Disney has a version; there is the Mary Martin version; the Sandy Duncan version, which I grew up watching; and the Cathy Rigby version, which I helped stage.

"I wanted this show to be very collaborative with new ideas," Tuttle said. "The technical aspects are extremely large. The challenge with a show with so many different versions is to find the places where a creative artist can play and interpret the text.

"It is also important to identify the moments that are memories for the audience and should be celebrated onstage."

"Peter Pan" has had eight Tony nominations and has won eight. The music was written by Mark Charlap and the lyrics by Carolyn Leigh.

"Peter Pan" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and March 1, 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. March 2. Tickets ranging from $17 to $20 are available at the box office of the cultural arts center at 518 S. Fountain St., by calling 573-651-2265 and at RiverCampusEvents.com.