The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle: Kurt Perry has been playing Captain Hook’s right-hand man, Mr. Smee, in the touring production of “Peter Pan” since the show’s inception in August 2023.
It’s the longest stretch of time the 35-year-old Jewish actor has played the same character. He describes the experience as “joyful and rewarding” but also “challenging.”
4 comments:
Peter Pan is a story that I have held dear to my heart since I was a kid. Ironically as I have gotten older, I have actually connected more to it than I had previously. I think that comes from seeing my own family shift and change and also growing up and changing myself. Two quotes that I carry with me from the original story and think about often are “Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” and “Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." Both quotes have come and gone throughout my life, and they bring back a lot of lovely and painful memories. Overall, I think the story of Peter Pan is one that is very underappreciated, it is not a story that is meant for children, it is a story that is meant for all ages to provide a new insight every time it is read or watched.
With this article, I enjoyed how it is said that Peter Pan is not a kids' show. It is a family show that parents and adults can bring younger audiences and still remember all of the feelings that Peter Pan brings out in you as a child, but also hold that nostalgic feeling with you when you watch it. As someone who is Jewish and has had experiences similar to Kurt's Judaism, I like how he spoke about it and how he spoke about how he used the religion to find a sense of identity, because I think that with Judaism, it can be so accepting, but you don’t realize that unless you are exposed to more of it. With those experiences, I also value that Kurt uses and goes deep with his character every single night, because he has been in the show for so long that it is crucial to find new ways and to explore the character in such ways. I think that’s an important lesson for many people and performers because when you’re working with the character for so long, it is important to show the audience still the character you love. They love to ensure you are actively performing and not just filling in the steps.
Peter pan is a fun story, but millennials have the worst peter pan syndrome. I'm gonna say some opinions that I feel could come off as kind of mean, because something about grown adults producing a peter pan show doesn't sit right with me. Like if the play isnt for a children's theater or kid audiences and is made by adults for adults? I hate to say that adults can't love peter pan, like it's a cute story and all, but it feels a little bittttt hmmm. Strange i guess i don't know i guess i'm just a hater. I feel like this is all just coming from past experiences with the show, because one time as a little kid I went to see a production of it and there were so many adults in the first row. That didn't even seem to really know the actors, like what is going on??
Peter-Pan was one of the first shows I saw growing up, after Annie that is. It’s interesting thinking about my perception of the show when I was younger versus seeing now as a college student. As kids do we have any comprehension of what growing up means? One of the iconic themes of the show is never wanting to grow up, and wanting to stay a kid forever. As a kid we see this as black and white: I’m a kid playing versus an adult who has to have responsibilities. When in reality, it’s much more nuanced. There’s young people who have to grow up too soon due to circumstances and family responsibilities. On the other hand there are adults who keep their inner child alive throughout their life. Mayhaps that’s the real lesson of Peter-Pan. Not the fear of growing up, but rather the commitment to stay forever young.
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