Photo Credit: Sydonia Lucchesi
Devoid of pixie dust and cloaked in shadow, Cooperative Performance Milwaukee’s newest production, Nightmares and Lullabies: The Darker Side of Peter Pan, is a look into the tortured mind of author J.M. Barrie. Clocking in at only 45 minutes, this intense one act show is a rapid-fire, yet poignant experience; abound with dark symbolism and a variety of adult themes. Opening with the sound of dissonant panpiping, the audience quickly realizes that this interpretation of the “The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up” is inherently stripped of its fluffy Disney reputation. In this case, the story focuses less on Pan, and more on his troubled creator.
Enter the Lost Boys, a ragtag team of post-apocalyptic troublemakers that move the story along at a breakneck pace. Their opening number, a stomping tribal chant, is quite mesmerizing. The four actors are standouts in the production. The main story however, focuses on author J.M. Barrie, played by actor Matthew Northey. Pale and gaunt, the character is first seen clacking away on a dilapidated typewriter, haphazardly injecting himself with a needle as he finishes off his fairytale. The writing process is plagued with visions of his deceased mother, who comes in ghostly form to visit him periodically.
In no time Barrie is sucked into his own imagination (or possibly hallucination) by his beloved Wendy Darling. He is sent on a whirlwind tour of Neverland, which the Lost Boys dub “Betwixt and Between.” Within time Barrie finds himself getting hounded by a leather clad Peter Pan and swashbuckling Captain Hook, as well as being mocked by a reptilian-like Tinker Bell.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
The walls of the space are covered in colorful paintings by Pfister Hotel Artist in Residence Todd Mrozinski. Playing on puppetry and shadow, the play’s set features only a large two-tiered scaffolding covered in white fabric and an overhead projector. Some of the more lighthearted moments in the show are played out on this makeshift screen, using shadow storytelling to progress the plot. The acting and dialogue, although superb, is sometimes lost as the story moves so quickly. Despite this, Nightmares and Lullabies’ themes of abandonment, longing, and psychotrauma ring true throughout the performance.
Through April 25 at Theatre Gigante Studio, 706 S. 5th St. For tickets, order tickets online at eventbrite.com or at the door.
