More Theater Monday - Peter Pan and Wendy

We received complimentary tickets to Peter Pan and Wendy for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: Peter Pan and Wendy

Where: The Little Theatre

             400 Jefferson St.

             Hackettstown, NJ 

Who: Recommended for Ages 5 and Up

When: Through February 15, 2026

Those who braved the snow this past Friday night and attended Centenary Stage's performance of  Peter Pan and Wendy were treated to a pleasant evening of theater. The show is a feminist version of the classic story of Peter Pan by playwright Lauren Gunderson. Although plot-wise it is very similar to the original, it is also somehow more centered around Wendy, Tinkerbell, and Tiger Lily (the latter of whom plays a larger role than in the original), and the three share a girl-powered bond (after Tinkerbell gets over her initial jealousy of Wendy, of course). The trio is clearly both braver and smarter than any of the boys, and they are the ones who come up with all the good ideas to get and keep the group out of danger. 

This Wendy is much more than a little girl biding her time until she can grow up and raise a family of her own. She is fiercely intelligent and idolizes Marie Curie. She one day hopes to be a great scientist herself. 

The show is quite fittingly a production of Centenary Stage NEXTStage Repertory, the performance arm of Centenary University's drama department, as these girls are part of a generation where hopefully more opportunities are open to women than ever.  The students do a nice job with the production. Standout performances include Aurelia Shanga, whose extremely feisty Wendy is brimming with both bravery and confidence, and Maximus Klevence, who is quite amusing as the cowardly John Darling.  While Erin Clark does a nice job in the role of Tiger Lily, who may be the fiercest and toughest of them all, and the character has clearly received some much-needed updates from Barrie's original version, it rings false that the character is constantly talking about what was done to her people and is being played by a blond-haired, extremely white girl.  Other than that, however, the production is quite enjoyable. 

And that's our view. For more about Peter Pan and Wendy or to purchase tickets, visit centenarystageco.org.

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo credit:

Photo provided by Centenary Stage

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