Imagine an intimate setting with rows of benches in a small space.
Everything is dark, but there is magic waiting to happen. Everyone is in
suspense. Children of all ages are gripping their parents’ arms with giddy
anticipation. At once, the lights come up and you see a creature of wonder
dressed in a fantastical costume. It is actress Michelle Polera, casting a
glow on that feisty little fairy, Tinker Bell. Polera is accompanied by
fellow actors Carlos Castillo (Peter Pan), Elliott Dash (Captain Hook),
Topher Williams (Mr. Smee), Meghan Abdo (Wendy), Ashley K. Nicholas (Lost
Boys), and Danny Pushkin (Pirates) in the action-packed 60-minute theater
production of “Tinker Bell” at Adventure Theatre MTC!
World Premiere and Play Process Demystified
On June 22, 2018, the Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC) will present “Tinker
Bell” as a world premiere play based on “Peter Pan,” the play written by
Scottish playwright James M. Barrie. Parents who may be newbies to
theater-speak will be pleasantly surprised to learn of the origins of
“premiere” as they relate to theater performances. The word premiere
indicates the first public performance of a work of art, but in practice,
it refers to the first performance that is original and created
specifically for a venue or event.
Michael J. Bobbitt, artistic director of ATMTC, described the world
premiere in great detail with enthusiasm, recounting how a two-year process
to create an original play came to fruition. “‘Tinker Bell’ is a world
premiere play based on the novel ‘Peter Pan.’ We developed a play based on
classic literature. Patrick Flynn is the playwright. He wrote the story
from Tinker Bell’s point of view … how it happened and why it
happened,” explains Bobbitt.
The idea-to-production chain of events is long, but common to ATMTC, as it
produces two original theater productions each season. Bobbitt summarizes
the process as follows: he first comes up with an idea of a story he wants
to showcase, then asks playwrights to write an original play. Attorneys and
artists then discuss the underlying rights and sign contracts after which
the playwright spends roughly 3 to 6 months writing the play. Bobbitt makes
notes on the draft play and begins the courting process of selecting play
directors. An 8-month to 1-year audition window to select adult
professional actors follows, and then the final process begins in which set
design, costumes, sound and lighting are the focus right before rehearsals
and then the premiere.
Bobbitt explains that the idea of “Tinker Bell” was muddled at first.
Playwright Flynn looked at the material and proposed the idea of having a
play with just five actors. Eventually, the play was fleshed out to
incorporate seven actors with a complement of puppets. “This is live
theater,” states Bobbitt, “[with a] creative way of showing an epic piece
using seven characters. Puppetry art is a great way to help tell the
story.”
The Feisty Little Fairy Comes Alive
When describing the play, “Tinker Bell,” Bobbitt repeatedly uses the word
“feisty” to describe the central character. “Audiences get to see her
vulnerable side [and she is] more well-rounded. Tinker Bell is not nice and
we understand why she loves Peter Pan,” notes Bobbitt. Without revealing
too much of the plot or the character development, he does offer an
intriguing tease which can only be understood at the live theater
presentation of “Tinker Bell.” “She drinks the poison and sacrifices her
life for Peter Pan.”
Bobbitt promises a truly theatrical, exciting, nail-biting version of
“Tinker Bell.” Children will especially thrill at seeing what Bobbitt
refers to as the “magic reveals,” where only the talented stagehands will
ever know how the fairies can appear as small and big. Despite the fact
that the intimate 165-person theater has limited air space, Bobbitt and his
production team successfully manages to show flying sequences and riveting
pirate fighting scenes in ways that will remain a beautiful visual mystery
to theatergoers.
The Adventure Theatre MTC is nestled in a serene wooded area in Glen Echo,
Maryland, and is the anchor artist organization of Glen Echo Park, a rich,
artistic mecca that is home to various arts organizations, including a
myriad of resident artists, an aquarium, a music conservatory and a
restored carousel.
The play “Tinker Bell” opens on June 22, 2018 and runs through August 19,
2018 with special performances on opening day June 22 (pajama party and
pay-what-you-can), August 4 (sensory-friendly) and August 5 (fairy
festival). “Tinker Bell” features live actors, as well as puppets, and is
appropriate for all ages. ATMTC is located at 7300 MacArthur Boulevard in
Glen Echo, Maryland. Tickets cost $19.50 per person and are available
online at
AdventureTheater-MTC.org.
