Written by Will Murdock, based on characters from the novel Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Directed by Brandy Townsend (they/them)
Performances: March 21-23 & 28-30
Synopsis
Mr. and Mrs. Darling await the return of their children from Neverland. They are hoping for the best and planning for the worst as they wonder where their children have gone, if they are safe, and if they will ever return.
Ever-loyal Nana and Mr. Darling’s own mother join them during their hours of longing and anguish. Peter and Tink themselves make an appearance to the grieving parents, as we await the children’s return.
~Cast & Crew~
Cast
| Mary Darling | Katherine Weber |
| George Darling | Jacob Drum |
| Mother | Lauren Juckniewitz |
| Nana | Lauren Juckniewitz |
| Peter | Riley Dereska |
Crew
| Director | Brandy Townsend |
| Stage Manager | Mason Hardin |
| Intimacy Director | Claire Fountain |
| Choreography | Lauren Juckniewitz |
| Costume & Makeup Design | Emily Spring |
| Costume Crew | Xander Davis |
| Light Design | Emily Chambers |
| Set Design & Props | Frank Green |
| Sound Design | Carrissa Davis |
| Special Effects Lighting | Ryan Davila |
| Stagehands | Kay Higgins, Elise Kerr, Bethany Lopez |
| Puppet Design & Set Assistance | Chloe McDowell |
| Producing Member | Lindsey Hall |
~Director’s Note~
I’m a long time fan of Peter Pan, of magic, and of play and dreaming, too. I’m also a kid who refused to grow all the way up, and a person who questions what society says they have to be.
The heart of this show called out to those parts of me the moment I first started reading the script.
Our Mary is quite contrary as she displays strength and boldness not often encouraged in a lady of the time, and encourages her husband to embrace his own softer side.
Our George is on a journey to learn there are things more valuable than gold, and together the two find each other, and their inner children, along the way.
The world is scary and hard right now, but there is still magic and hope to be found, and your inner child can show you the way.
After seeing this show I have two wishes for you: may you nurture your inner child and find magic all around you, and may you dream of a better world and
find the courage to question society.
~Cast Bios~
Riley Dereska
Peter Pan
Riley Dereska (she/her) is thrilled to be making her debut with Sundown theatre! She has recently been featured in Dear Edwina (Bobby Newsome) at Our Productions theatre company, The Love Of Three Oranges (Truffaldino) at Briarhill Middle school, The Odd Couple: female version (crew) at Denton Theatre, and will be seen in The Wizard of Oz (Tin Man/Assistant stage manager) at Our Productions theatre company. She enjoys reading, listening to music, and writing in her free time. She would like to thank her friend Izzy for always being there during the worst and best times.
Jacob Drum
George Darling
Jacob Drum (he/him) has been lucky enough to be a part of Sundown Collaborative Theatre for 4 years. In that time, he has appeared in the two productions of the (a working title) series: Love Stories and Body Stories. He has appeared in Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, both Volumes 1 and 2. He submitted an original piece for the 24-Hour Play Festival, and appeared alongside Brandy Townsend as The Narrator in Sundown’s virtual rendition of She Kills Monsters. He is honored to have a leading role in this play, and hopes he and his fellow cast members touch your hearts.
Lauren Juckniewitz
Mother, Nana
Lauren Juckniewitz (she/her) is a writer, teacher, and humorist. She’s a postmodern folk artist and performer dedicated to crafting experiences where magic and healing thrive. After winning a dance contest at the age of two, she committed herself to a theatrical life. One filled with laughter, whimsy, and the occasional well-timed dramatic flourish. She has appeared on stage in Body Stories (a working title), a devised piece exploring the ways we inhabit and experience our bodies. You can often find her sharing her words and wit at local open mics. She is delighted to work with the talented cast and crew of As Small as Stars. The experience has been full of great joy and love. When she’s not performing, Lauren enjoys gardening, painting, and feeding her friends and cat. Come by for dinner sometime. She’d love to have you.
Katherine Weber
Mary Darling
Katherine Weber (she/her) is very excited for her first production with Sundown Collaborative Theater. Previously, she has played Angus McWhirter in Towards Zero, Myrtle Mae Simmons in Harvey, and Mrs. Bradman in Blithe Spirit, all at Theater Denton; and has also appeared in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime at Allen Contemporary Theater. Outside of the theater, she spends her time practicing karate, volunteering at a
therapeutic horse ranch, and working on her burgeoning career as an audiobook narrator. She hopes you enjoy this fresh take on Peter Pan and all the allusions to the original tale.
~Crew Bios~
Emily Chambers
Light Design
Emily Chambers (she/they) recently joined Sundown Collaborative Theatre and now serves as Secretary. She has worked on several performances with Sundown over the years, including The Woman in Black, Girl in the Machine, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Plays in 60 Minutes vol. 1 and 2, the 24-hour Playwriting Festival, and several Short Works Festivals. They have loved working with the community to create wonderful productions that inspire, entertain, and scare audiences in new and innovative ways!
Ryan Davila
Special Effects Lighting
Ryan Davila (he/him) is thrilled to be working on this wonderful take on the classic Peter Pan story. His first time doing special effects was for Sundown Collaborative Theatre’s production of The Woman in Black, where he did lighting design and special effects. Most recently, he worked on Sundown Theatre’s production of The Haunting of Hill House, where he also did lighting design and special effects. Ryan has directed Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Plays in 60 Minutes Vol.1 & 2 and She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms for Sundown Collaborative Theatre.
Carrissa Davis
Sound Design
Carrissa Davis (she/her) was sound designer, stage manager, and co-creator of Sundown Collaborative Theatre’s devised piece, Body Stories. She has designed for several shows with Theatre Denton, and ran a few others with Sundown, most recently The Haunting of Hill House. She is delighted to design this intricate little show with this lovely group of people.
Frank Green
Set Design, Props
Frank Green (he/him) is into making funky things and studying the sociological impacts on and of art.
Lindsey Hall
Producing Member
Lindsey Hall (she/her) serves as co-Artistic Director for Sundown Collaborative Theatre. She has performed in several productions with the company, including Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms, and Love Stories (a working title), a devised piece that she conceived and guided collaboratively. She also co-directed and performed in the company’s first round of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 plays in 60 minutes with Ryan Davila. Most recently she has been hard at work behind the scenes doing producery and marketingy things, though she also waits with bated breath for her next opportunity to makeup design for any shows involving blood/gore.
Mason Hardin
Stage Manager
Mason Hardin (he/him) is excited to be a part of his first Sundown Theatre production. He is currently a theatre student at UNT. He was last seen onstage in Spring Awakening at Theatre Denton.
Chloe McDowell
Puppet Design & Set Assistance
Chloe McDowell (she/they) is a master puppet-maker and Sundown’s favorite groupie. She probably would have written a bio if she hadn’t been so busy making stuff for the show.
Emily Spring
Costumes Lead
Emily Spring (she/her) pulled inspiration from her favorite time period dramas for this cast to create an elegant and dreamy wardrobe. Additionally, she looked for inspiration in the classic movies featuring the Darlings but decided to go a different route with Pan, creating a dreamy and colorful version of our antagonist. Emily’s main goal was to collaborate with her actors to find clothing that not only rang true for the characters but allowed the actors to have a boost of confidence while on stage. It’s important to her that the cast feels good and secure in themselves and she believes that this is a key component to a great show: confident actors! Emily’s ultimate goal was to amplify the actor’s talents while respecting comfort zones. Emily has been involved in makeup and costume design for shows for roughly 10 years. She lives with a passion for fashion and hopes this show inspires you to wear what makes your heart happy!
Brandy Townsend
Director
Brandy Townsend (they/them) has been a member of Sundown since December 2019. In that time, they have been involved in many projects in a variety of roles including, stage managing How I Learned to Drive and The Haunting of Hill House, performing in a handful of Short Works Fest pieces and 2 volumes of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, and leading the Body Stories (a working title) journey. Brandy loves being a part of such an inclusive and thoughtful group of artists and is so excited to share this show with you!!!