Pan and the pirates to hook Pittsburgh audiences

Peter Pan Pittsburgh CLO Presents: Peter Pan Staring: Cathy Rigby, Tom Hewitt June 21… Peter Pan Pittsburgh CLO Presents: Peter Pan Staring: Cathy Rigby, Tom Hewitt June 21 through July 2 Benedum Center Tickets: $15.50 to $40.50 Call 412-456-6666

Beneath the swirling pixie dust and midnight sky dashed with stars, “Peter Pan” is every Freudian scholar’s dream come true. The performance has long been a favorite of wide-eyed children, but it seems that some very adult themes underlie the whimsical tale of fairies and pirates.

Tony-nominated actors Cathy Rigby and Tom Hewitt star in Pittsburgh CLO’s production of “Peter Pan,” which opened Saturday.

“The audience was very responsive,” said Hewitt, who plays Peter’s nemesis, Captain Hook. “And everything came together. Nobody got hurt. No blood was spilt. Theater people really are incredible that way.”

Based on J.M. Barrie’s classic play, “Peter Pan” is the story of the Darling children, who follow the young boy Peter Pan to Neverland, an island inhabited by scheming pirates and sinister crocodiles – a place where children never have to grow up.

“I don’t think there’s an actor who would turn down the chance to play Captain Hook. He’s such a twisted, complicated character and so unabashedly evil,” said Hewitt.

The role might have given Hewitt the chance to strap on pirate boots and berate young children, but it also presented technical challenges.

“There are a lot of sword fights, and I’m not always the sharpest knife in the drawer,” he said.

Theatrical tradition in “Peter Pan” is for one actor to play both Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, which makes some suspect the title character of having a bit of an Oedipal complex. Both Darling and Hook represent evil father figures, trying to keep the mother figure, Wendy, for themselves. With his menacing pirate’s sword, Hook inspires castration anxiety in the young son, represented by Pan. The Oedipal fantasy of seducing the mother is completed when Peter rescues his caretaker and companion Wendy from Captain Hook at the play’s climax.

According to Hewitt, Hook and his pirate gang are actually quite sympathetic – beneath their vile exteriors, they are only little boys in desperate need of a mother.

“It’s possible that J.M. Barrie was influenced by Freud’s ideas,” said Hewitt. “Both [Darling] parents become sort of malevolent in Neverland. Mrs. Darling becomes an evil mermaid who threatens to kill one of the boys. There’s definitely something Freudian in them.”

Psychological themes aside, the cast also appeals to adult audiences by maintaining a high degree of professionalism.

“I thought ‘Peter Pan’ was a kid’s show, but the story is universal. It’s a really sophisticated production,” said Hewitt. “[Rigby’s] presence makes it transcendent. Other actresses who play Peter Pan are often still very much women, but [Rigby] is a little boy. The way she moves is just like a little boy. Her commitment to the role is just so convincing.” Before becoming an actress, Rigby was an Olympic gymnast. As the first American woman to win a medal in the World Gymnastics Competition, she holds 12 international medals. She also earned a Tony nomination when she starred as Peter Pan in the 35th anniversary Broadway production of the play.

“She’s an actress in the purest sense of the word,” said Hewitt. “She makes you really want to step it up and have something very grounded in naturalism.”

“Peter Pan” first debuted as a musical in 1954. Mark “Moose” Charlap, along with Jule Styne, composed the score to accompany the story of “Peter Pan,” creating songs like “I’m Flying,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “I’ve Got to Crow.”

Though “Peter Pan” can be interpreted in many ways, the cast of the Pittsburgh CLO production promises to captivate young audiences. Only theater-goers can decide whether the sword fights and midnight flights are dark allusions or simply the dreams of children upon the stage.