From the title of Katelynn Kenney’s play Wendell & Pan, the reference is clear. J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, or The Boy Would Wouldn’t Grow Up has provided inspiration for many theatrical productions. The most recent ones I recall are Bedlam Theatre’s dreadful retelling and the underwhelming Broadway musical Finding Neverland. At the arts incubator The Tank, this version takes place in “a one level, two bedroom house in some tiny town.”
Wendell (Nick Ong) is a book reading nerd whose best friend is Pan (Shavana Clarke). Is she imaginary or not? She certainly is fun and they have adventures such as pretending to play pirates. He also confides his thoughts and secrets to Pan seeking advice. His grandfather is very ill and has asked Wendell to kill him. His parents are visibly going through some marital issues and the family environment is chilly. His sister Kayla is busy on her cellphone leaving voice mail messages which embarrass her. From this beginning, a psychologically complex story unfolds. A question is asked: “how come saying one thing can change everything?”
There is an interesting story line in Wendell & Pan but at this stage of its development, the tone is wildly inconsistent. The abrupt shifts from dramatic tension to throwaway comedic one-liners is jarring and undercuts the lurking moodiness which tries to emerge. As directed, the play is also paced too slowly and feels overlong. There was a moment when I thought it had ended. What seemed like a nice finish left some mysteries for the audience to consider. Unfortunately, the exposition continued on, was rather tedious and somewhat repetitive.
On the very positive side, the set design by Caitlyn Barrett was quite impressive and cleverly laid out. In the small downstairs space at The Tank, the family and Pan were inside and outside the home, up in a treehouse or on a roof. I’ve seen plays with enormous budgets unable to produce this level of quality and clarity, not to mention that Wendell & Pan has quite a few fantastical elements stuffed into its plot. In addition, Nya Noemi’s confident portrayal as sister Kayla was the standout performance for me.
This play wants to embrace the challenges of growing up as in Peter Pan. As the work develops further and the audience reacts (or does not react) to certain lines and scenes, a better, more focused character study may emerge. For now, this interesting multi-generational tale of decisions and ramifications needs a sprinkle of pixie dust to fly.