‘Peter Pan,” the story of the mischievous boy who refuses to grow up, is on stage at Kelsey Theater for the next three weekends. Based on the classic book by J.M. Barrie, it has been adapted in stage, film, animated, and television productions. Fly along to the enchanted world of Neverland from Saturday, March 8, to Sunday, March 23. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on Saturday, March 8.
In “Peter Pan” the title character takes Wendy, John, and Michael Darling for an adventure with the Lost Boys, Indians, fairies, and a colorful crew of pirates led by the evil Captain Hook.
West Windsor residents in the production include Jeanette Smith, who plays a kangaroo. Lost Boys include Sabrina Chevlin, Harrison Cohen, and Makenna Katz, and the band of pirates includes Jonathan Logan, Edward Szemis, and Stephen Szemis.
Chris Szemis of West Windsor, the stage manager, has managed 12 shows for Yardley Players since 2006. She initially became involved with community theater when her middle son, David, was 11 and decided he wanted to become an actor. He is now a junior majoring in marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Her other sons are Stephen, also in “Peter Pan,” and her oldest son, Kevin, who graduated from Emerson College with a major in studio television, and is now living in Los Angeles and working for TMZ as a broadcast engineer. When not backstage, she works as a communication systems engineer for a major defense contractor.
Her husband, Ed Szemis, portrays a pirate named Mullins. A programmer and systems analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Szemis has appeared in five previous shows at Kelsey Theater. He has had no formal acting or singing training but has taken ballroom dance lessons and plays keyboards with In the Cut, a band that plays dance music in local bars. Recent roles at Kelsey include an obsequious hotel manager in “Born Yesterday,” an irate parent and lascivious shriner in “Bye, Bye Birdie,” a Nazi in “The Sound of Music,” and a semi-clothed Winkie Guard in “The Wizard of Oz.”
Their son, Stephen Szemis, is a pirate named Noodler. This is his 15th production on the Kelsey stage. His favorite roles include Flick in “A Christmas Story,” Little Jake in “Annie Get Your Gun,” and Sidney Sawyer in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”
He has studied voice with several voice teachers including Patricia Bartlett and studied dance for seven years, including tap, jazz, and musical theater. He has also studied acting at the Tomato Patch performing arts camp at MCCC.
A sophomore at Notre Dame High School, he plays alto and tenor saxophones and clarinet with the school’s concert and jazz bands, sings in the school’s madrigal choir, and will be in the pit orchestra in “Hairspray.”
“I am enjoying being a goofy pirate and getting a chance to share the stage with my dad, and my mom, who is the stage manager for this production,” says Szemis.
Harrison Cohen, an eighth grader at Grover Middle School, plays the part of Curly, a lost boy. He has attended Tomato Patch for four years and has taken classes at Princeton Dance and Theater. His previous shows on the Kelsey stage are “Camp Rock the Musical” and the 2013 Kelsey Awards Show. “My character as a lost boy is strong and reckless and I think it is very awesome to be part of this production,” says Cohen.
Jeanette Smith, a sixth grade student at Grover Middle School, portrays both an Indian and the kangaroo in her first show at Kelsey. The family are subscribers at Kelsey and she has been attending shows there since she was two years old.
A dancer since she was 18 months old, she studies ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop at the Dance Corner in West Windsor. Smith has danced in “The Nutcracker Suite” for the past nine years, and has danced in “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lost Princess,” and “Snow White.”
She takes vocal lessons with Jan Baldwin, sang in the Prince of Peace children ensembles, and has performed in the Christmas musical. A violist in Grover’s chamber orchestras, she has performed in concerts for Village School and Grover, as well as for the Prince of Peace Philharmonic.
“I have made so many new friends in ‘Peter Pan’ and enjoy being able to jump around as a kangaroo and also to dance as a serious Indian,” says Smith. “I love all the music and dancing and I can’t wait for the show.”
Jon Logan of West Windsor, a pirate in the show, is a freshman at High School North. He has attended Tomato Patch Performing Arts program at Kelsey Theater for the past five summers and learned about the audition from his Tomato Patch counselor, Elizabeth Rzasa, who plays Peter Pan.
Past roles include Stanley Larson in “Mystery at Shady Acres,” and Charlie Brown in “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.” He also played Ralph Herdman in “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” He plays bass in the jazz band and chamber orchestras at school and is also involved with cross country and lacrosse.
“I am very excited to play the part of a pirate,” says Logan. “I have made many new friends and hope to see them on stage again in future plays at Kelsey Theater.”
Sabrina Chevlin of West Windsor, a sixth grade student at a private school in Yardley, Pennsylvania, portrays Nibs, the lost boy who dresses like a bunny rabbit. This is her second show at Kelsey. Last year she played a newsboy in “Gypsy.” She studies singing with Patricia Bartlett, dancing at Down Stage Center and the Dance Corner, and acting at McCarter Theater and Broadway Artist Alliance.
“The production itself so far seems like it’s going to be an exciting and interactive show to come and see,” says Chevlin. “The production staff works very hard and is very organized to make it a fun and exciting show to not only watch but to be a part of. Everyone treats each other like family and I think this will be one of the most fun shows I will ever be in.”
Peter Pan, Kelsey Theater, Mercer Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Fridays through Sundays, March 8 to 23. $20. 609-570-3333. www.kelseytheater.net.
