ABOUT THE PLAY

Dark comedy. 1 male, 2 females. 90 minutes. Multiple suggested settings.

Neverland premiered at City Theater Company in Wilmington, DE.


SYNOPSIS

Eight year old WENDY eats apples out of the garbage. She finds a hundred dollars in a wallet, and her friend PETER (one actor plays each character at all of the different ages), same age, convinces her to return all of it—except for one dollar for luck. Wendy's family wins the lottery—using the dollar—and become millionaires, but Peter doesn't want Wendy at his ninth birthday party. Though Peter excludes her, Wendy, with the help of her imaginary “friend,” J.M. (all other characters are designed to be played by one actress), decides that Peter is "the one" for her.

Nearly four years later, Peter moves. As his overbearing MOTHER tells him to get a paper route, Wendy, looking so different that Peter doesn't recognize her, appears. Wendy immediately makes a pass at him and wants to French kiss him, but Peter gets cold feet. After a confrontation with his Mother, he runs away
Another five years elapses, and Peter is in a juvenile detention center. Wendy, again completely unrecognizable, visits him; she is his reading tutor. But again, her attempt at contact fails.

Another eight years passes, and Wendy this time shows up as Peter’s teaching assistant in college—he has gotten his life together somewhat, and he remembers his detention center reading tutor as someone who played a pivotal role in his turnaround. But in the present, Wendy once more fails, and Peter decides that it’s best for him to transfer out of her section.

Five more years go by, and Wendy is Peter’s waitress at a diner where he is a regular. Peter tells her—he doesn’t realize who she is—about how he ran away from his college graduation after a confrontation with his Mother. Or was it just in his mind? Peter flees the restaurant, and shortly thereafter reappears as a homeless man. Wendy, passing out sandwiches, tries to give him a tongue sandwich, but it reminds him too much of his failed French kiss from all those years ago, and he berates her for it. This final rejection pushes Wendy over the edge. She turns to drugs and alcohol. J.M. returns to “encourage” her collapse.

Ten years later, Peter works as a tour guide for a river kayaking company. Their roles reversed, Wendy is his customer, and when she pulls out a flask, Peter, who quickly determines that she is drunk, decides they must return to shore. Wendy, about to tell him who she is, flees instead after they land. Peter follows her back to her apartment, and eventually she tells him who she is. But before she can invite Peter in, J.M. appears to lead Wendy back to drug and alcohol-induced oblivion.

After an attempt at counseling which fails—Wendy accuses Peter of stalking her when he shows up at the session—Wendy takes refuge on the ledge of her apartment. Peter tries to talk her down, but J.M. arrives. To Peter, she looks like his Mother. Wendy chokes J.M. to “death,” and Wendy and Peter have their long-delayed French kiss before settling in to see where it will lead.