'Pan' flies in to Princeton

We've all seen the Disney film countless times and dressed up as either Peter or Tinkerbell at least once for Halloween. Some of us may even recall standing at the edge of our beds at age five, eyes shut tight, trying to "think of a wonderful thought" in the hopes of suddenly rising into the air with a newfound ability to fly. All of this is the Disney-ized, Americanized, commercialized imitation of J.M. Barrie's masterpiece. Few people are familiar with the original play, which is set in London in 1904. This weekend, the Princeton community will be introduced to the original "Peter Pan."

For his senior thesis, Rodney DeaVault '07 has chosen to direct Barrie's original play. An English major receiving a certificate in theater and dance, DeaVault is one of the few, exceptionally brave seniors who have tackled two theses. He first analyzed "Peter Pan" on paper and now turns to capture it on stage. Despite this considerable added stress, DeaVault is all smiles about the production. After all, this has been a dream of his for two years. "I started looking at thesis shows sophomore year, and that was when I decided that I wanted to do 'Peter Pan,' " he said. "But I wanted to do the original."

The stars of this "very senior show" are 19 students who, DeaVault says, represent not only his college theater career, but his Princeton career. They range in experience from seasoned actors and dancers to first-timers to the stage.

Nicole Greenbaum '07 is performing her acting thesis in the role of Wendy. A mutual friend suggested to DeaVault that he ask Greenbaum to "co-thesis" this production. Convincing the actress was simple. "Our conversation was something like this," DeaVault said, " 'Hey Nicole, do you want to play Wendy?' 'Do I get to fly?' 'Yes.' 'Okay, sure.' "

While DeaVault admits it has been a challenge coordinating different personalities, skills and levels of experience, he emphasizes the excitement of working with students who have never been on stage before.

This production is a first for DeaVault himself. He has acted in several shows over his Princeton career and danced with the BodyHype Dance Company since his sophomore year, but "Peter Pan" is his directing debut. "Watching the actors evolve and discover things for themselves," DeaVault said, has been one of the biggest surprises of this process. "It is very different to see it as a director instead of as a stage manager or fellow actor."

Guiding DeaVault through this process has been his thesis adviser, Tim Vasen, who recently directed Princeton's production of "Boris Godunov." DeaVault says he has worked independently of Vasen in most respects but added that the two have a good partnership. Vasen played a significant role in designing the set, and members of the audience who saw "Boris Godunov" will likely recognize a similar creative vision behind the set for "Peter Pan."

Many of DeaVault's preparations for this undertaking took place last summer. After studying Barrie's original text, DeaVault modified it slightly for his own production. By the time he returned to school this fall, he was able to turn in precise plans to the theater program for consideration. Furthermore, University funding gave DeaVault the chance to spend several weeks in London and Paris studying set and costume design. In London, he sought to immerse himself in the world from which Barrie drew his inspiration. For instance, he spent afternoons walking through Kensington Gardens, the place where Barrie is said to have watched the playing children who eventually became the models for his own characters.

So what differences can we expect between the "Peter Pan" that we were all raised on and the original, Victorian play that DeaVault has restored? First and foremost, DeaVault said, "The play is a period piece, largely about British nationalism." Those aspects are critical to the play. To adapt this to a modern audience, DeaVault chose to set the play in 1950s America. According to DeaVault, the social parallels during this period, particularly regarding gender stereotypes and the nature of children, seemed to be the most similar to early 20th-century Britain.

The audience should pay particular attention to the opening scene in the nursery, DeaVault's favorite scene of the show. "It's the most domestic scene; it's very charming," he beams. Another scene to watch out for is the death of Tinkerbell, which is one of the few events modified from the original narrative.

"Peter Pan" opens April 27th in the Matthews Theatre and runs through April 30th. There will be an 8 p.m. show each night as well as a 2 p.m. matinee on the 29th.