The Bloggers of Neverland—Week Three

Performances for the Summer Players’ Peter Pan continue through this weekend—Aug. 15-17. Learn more about what went down leading up to opening night as our bloggers—Maddy and Jamie—share their tech week experience—from cast bonding to the secrets of the Peter Pan hair and makeup.

The Peter Pan Experience: Tech Week
by Maddy Nickless

Peter Pan has been a good teaching experience for us and tech week has been amazing for me. Eight-hour tech rehearsals—where all the elements of the play are fine-tuned—has shown me how much work goes into creating such big production. Day one was mainly about working with the lights, costumes, hair and makeup; day two “hold,” was a very common word, as we worked through the show; day three was our first full run-through after the dinner break; and day four, we learned bows and ran the show with no stops.

The Indians

The dinner breaks give us all time to bond even more as a cast. We share random stories about things that come up. Backstage in the wings, there was a day where the mic lady let us listen to any of the actors. I decided to listen to Kira Woodland (Liza). She and Ben Susskind (Twin 1) started talking and it was one of the most hysterical things that I’ve experienced during Peter Pan.

In the dressing rooms, it’s all about bonding. The Indians got their makeup and hair assignments on day one, and everyone in the dressing rooms helped each other. I believe tech week has helped this cast become more than a make-believe family.

This week has been a game-changing experience for me, as I realize all that goes into putting a professional production together.  Working on scenes—like traveling from the Darling house into Neverland then into the pirates’ ship—has been a very fun transition to learn.  I am so grateful that music director Erin McNally and director Hisa Takakuwa let me have this wonderful experience.

The Darlings.

I decided to interview a few of the other cast members during the rehearsal process about their experience with Peter Pan:

Maddy: What was the most challenging thing for you so far?
Kelsey Bray (Nibs): Trying to figure out how a pre-pubescent boy acts, dances, walks, talks, and lives.
Blake Laszlo (Smee): The comedy with Hook, is so specific because you have to hit it perfectly.

Maddy: What is the most important thing you have taken away from the Peter Pan story?
Allison Baayoun (Lean Wolf; Crocodile): Not to take yourself so seriously as an adult.
Emme O’Toole (Little Loud Oak; Jane): Even if you physically grow old, emotionally you can still be a child; play, have fun, even if its through your view on life

Maddy: What are you looking forward to the most?
Nika Aydin (Michael Darling): Wearing my footie pajamas and wig. It’s the same one I wore recently when I played Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol last year.
Rachel Charny (Tiger Lily): To perform in front of little kids and see how they react to it because it was a big part of my childhood.

Maddy: Are you excited or nervous to perform in front of a big audience?
Lauren Lyons (Ostrich; Peter Pan’s Shadow): Very joyful, because its fun to experience seeing to audience see the show for the first time.
Chris Huntley (Peter Pan): Both, but more excited.

Backstage: The Hair and Makeup of Peter Pan
video by Jamie Ostmann

Go backstage with blogger Jamie as she shows you the secrets to the hair and makeup of Peter Pan.

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