Wendell & Pan

See it if You have the imagination to see what could have been with this interesting idea of a story, though poorly executed. Interesting set design.

Don't see it if Unless you’ve got some serious Peter Pan and death issues you’re trying to work out. You might find a kernel of insight in here somewhere.

Also The best thing about this evening was the set design on a dime which I always appreciate when it works as well as it did here. Keep your eye on that clock on the table.... Read more Read less

See it if If you want to see some good acting with very creative staging.

Don't see it if If you want a good story. Family issues that are not resonant.

See it if you want to hear an interesting theatrical voice, speaking in an interesting play that never quite comes together.

Don't see it if you are looking for a polished piece of work.

Also Lots of the pieces of "Wendell & Pan" are interesting. But the family at the center of the drama, despite a lot of talking, remain too enigmatic to identify with until the 2nd half of the 2nd act, which means the audience spends a lot of time scratching their heads & wishing these people would hurry up. A performance by the adolescent girl of the family is exceptional, & dad & mom have a good final few minutes. But the device of having a deceased family member operate as a phantom Peter Pan haunting the rest of the characters remains too murky for too long.... Read more Read less

See it if the topics it explores interests you as they are juxtaposed to the Peter Pan story. There is some good acting and use of small stage is good

Don't see it if you need clear action and a refined production. This moves slow at times and you have to think on your own to follow it. Tight seating.

See it if Family dealing with struggles. Wendell seeing/playing with a look alike Pan.

Don't see it if very tight seating, you are packed in. Long story with leaving a lot of questions.

Also Peter Pan like but this is NOT Peter Pan. As watching I did not know what direction this play was going but in time it comes alittle together. You had some answer just before intermission.... Read more Read less

See it if You like amateurish plays in claustrophobic spaces where body odor from a member of the cast wafts through the air every time he is on stage

Don't see it if If you’re looking for a finished play that has its act together

See it if you dont mind a slightly amateur production, in a very intimate setting, which reaches to frame a referential reset of Peter Pan.

Don't see it if You want to see a glossy, professional show. You dont want to be sitting on top of your neighbor. You want to be entertained.

Also My friend just totally missed the whole play. He laughed and found it enjoyable but was truly clueless. The relationships are not defined, but are easily discerned. much of this play is inferred so that a book that is casually handed about is actually a vital part of the narrative. I expected an exodus at the intermission, very few people left. I found much of the play a reach--as simple as the choice of names Barrie as the unseen "grandfather", Wendell and Pan and Michael. It seemed to be more a mildly successful exercise in "being clever" than a true play. I was bored much of the time but did want to see where it was all going.
Some choices were trite and some just cringe-worthy.
I dont know. The kids were the most natural, the father stilted, tho ultimately sympathetic--Pan was distracting in her aggressive need to be noticed and appreciated.
There are many worse ways to spend 2 hours, but I cant really recommend this as entertaining.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to support The Tank, one of my favorite NYC theaters. You enjoy magical realism and pieces that feel a bit like fan-fiction.

Don't see it if You dislike plays that may have one too many unbelievable events to be truly relatable. Dislike prose-like dialogue.

Also "It is my belief that Peter Pan is a great and refining and uplifting benefaction to this sordid and money-mad age; and the next best play is a long way behind." -Mark Twain

Wendell & Pan in many ways personifies what's best about The Tank. The cast is diverse, the subject matter far from fluffy, and there's ample creativity evident in the design. The set design is the star of the show.

But these elements are hampered by a script that is, for the most part, screaming, "This is a play!" So much so that at times it feels like a pastiche of family dramas.

Small spoiler alert here, one thing that seems a needlessly confusing point. The father's name is Michael. BUT he is not Michael from Peter Pan. That is a major red herring that just ends up being confusing.

As others have mentioned Nya Noemi as the essence of adolescence, Kayla, is phenomenal. The other performances are serviceable save for Anuj Parikh as the father. His lines are delivered with a serious lack of dynamic range.... Read more Read less

See it if You would like to see one excellent actor (Pan), and a play about loss, secrets, and struggles.

Don't see it if You want to see a well written drama.

See it if you enjoy trying to figure out family lore, you love magic realism

Don't see it if you want a cogent plot and well developed characters

Also There's a play in there trying to get out. The acting was pretty good except for the father who mumbled his lines and what he had to say was important for the plot. Magic realism works better on the page than on the stage. And Latin Americans do it better. I did like the young actor playing Pan.... Read more Read less

See it if This is a realistic family play crossed with fantasy

Don't see it if you like reality real - the four family members look nothing alike and all the confrontations seem artificial

See it if you like a creative inspired version of (Peter) Pan in intimate setting w/ great use of small theater space. Blend of drama,comedy, fantasy.

Don't see it if you don't like themes of death, ghost, family drama with a touch of Pan fantasy. But it's worth checking even just for Pan's acting chops !

See it if you'd like a play dealing with loss, secrets, and struggle passed down through generations-- told with both realism and fairy tale.

Don't see it if you prefer literal and linear story telling. Much is implied and nuanced. If you require tight direction, editing and pacing.

Also There is a lot to love here, and with some editing and re-writes this would be a really enchanting and relateable story with an emotional pay off.

Unfortunately, there are pacing issues, pace-killers needs to be edited out (e.g. the dining scenes, the clock eulogy and the ending monologues.) Just moving the the modern brother and sister resolution up and ending with Pan's transition would make for a more touching and satisfying ending.

Loved the diverse cast, the set design, the audio tracks and the magic, mystery and child like awe and mischievous spirit of Pan.... Read more Read less

See it if you support workshop-style productions & encourage emerging artists. I'm neither friend or family & was disappointed by this

Don't see it if black-box theatre, work-in-progress plays waste your time. Super slow, no clear point or plot. Not ready for an audience!

Also Pros: some talented young actresses. Good sound design.
Cons: Very muddy magical realism story. Grandpa died? Or is in hospital? Why is family in his house? Is it summer? Why are they miming "dinnertime" a la Our Town 3 (!) times in 1st act to show passing of time? Is that Peter Pan? Or a ghost? Is the son autistic? Why should I care? This show needs a narrator to explain what the heck is happening. "The summer my Grandpa died, we went to his house..." I was impatient with plodding along & left at intermission.... Read more Read less

See it if Its a play that utilizes all of the venues space. Great acting. Great use of pantomime as well.

Don't see it if A little difficult to follow. Wasnt sure about the ending. Very small venue.

See it if You like magical realism with a well-designed set and interesting props that go a bit beyond the normal off-off-Broadway experience.

Don't see it if You don’t like small, intimate theater spaces and/or a non-linear story.

Also As far as the story goes, there are some interesting points to be made and perspectives to been seen from a new playwright with a strong unique voice. The play is not currently a finished piece and so there are still some kinks to be worked out, but it definitely has the potential to become a very strong dramatic work of art.... Read more Read less

See it if you like to deduce past events that inform current action and relationships as they unfold; enjoy intimate theater; focus on family drama

Don't see it if require things be laid out cleanly; roll your eyes at ghosts; are annoyed by actions happening on different parts of stage simultaneously

See it if you like dramas with family tension and you enjoy the process of learning why family members behave the way they do.

Don't see it if you find the stereotypical teenager role annoying even when played by a really good actor.

Also I enjoyed this production and found the story developed in an interesting way. This theater seating is difficult because only the front row (or, I suppose, very tall people) have a good view. I spent much of the show just listening.... Read more Read less

See it if You are ok with waiting for information.

Don't see it if You are triggered by the idea of a dying family member asking to be killed. I have personal experience with this and was choking on my tears

Also Nya Noemi was fantastic as the teen daughter. I couldn't see some of the scenes being played out on the floor from the back row.... Read more Read less

See it if You like good writing, want to see an acting tour de force (Pan). There are some very intense moments.

Don't see it if The play is perhaps 10% too long, some of the acting is a little limp, and the endings of the various conflicts are somewhat forced.

See it if You want to support new works, you enjoy different takes on traditional stories, you don't mind some ambiguity

Don't see it if You don't do small spaces, you want a fully baked story-line

See it if You love retellings of Peter Pan, and enjoy a deeper look at how family drama and secrets can span and affect generations.

Don't see it if You don't like watching adults play child characters, are impatient with temperamental story pacing, or new, as-of-yet underdeveloped works.

Also The majority of the actors are fantastic, most notably Nya Noemi, who plays the sister. There's so much heart and quirk in this production that its infectious ambience belies the dark, depressing nature that lurks just underneath the surface. With some careful scene trimming to shore up the parts that flag and some adjustments to the casting, this play is going to be a stunner.... Read more Read less

See it if A breath of fresh air in modern and classic theatre. Clever and touching writing. Enthusiastic performance. Interesting use of the stage.

Don't see it if There’s an F word used in a few scenes, so if you don’t feel comfortable when hearing it, then this show might not be for you.

See it if You want a great show! Elements of greek storytelling mixed with Aaron Sorkin-like dialogue. It's 100% something you haven't seen before.

Don't see it if You're not ready to suspend your disbelif. It's a magical world in which they live - so get ready to be told a new story.

Also Sincerely a gem in the world of storytelling. This show is something I would totally see again. There are tons of layers, fantastic acting, and the technical elements are impressive for the small and raw theatre space that they're portrayed in. It's a treat for sure, and a performance that you won't soon forget.
It's not often you find writing like this from a young playwright, but here it is! Go see it before it's gone for who-knows-how-long. You won't be disappointed.... Read more Read less

See it if You like early stage productions that attempt to mix ghost stories with magic to tell a story family trials. Enjoy a dramedies

Don't see it if You mind slowness due to having to many subplots and not fully developing the main plot. A Mediocre cast trying to get out wordy dialogue.

Also I don’t think they have stopped working on this play and I don’t think it’s a waste of time as I do believe there is potential here but the author is going to have to make some hard edits. I would suggest getting rid of the wife and the daughter as I think the arc of the play is really Michael and Pan and their relationship to their father and Wendell and I think that’s is all you have time for and so maybe a three characters fringe like play is what this needs to be . I think the play needs to be 90 minutes and we need to know what Pan needs to let go. I also think the dialogue seemed a bit much at times for these actors and maybe it needs to be reworked to be easier to speak. There is a good idea and a good plot hidden here so I truely hope to see this again someday at a bigger stage with a stronger cast in a production I can praise.... Read more Read less