Peter Pan
Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts
Hartford
June 16, 2026
Peter Pan is a story about the inevitability of time. That didn’t occur to me until I was walking down Van Block Avenue in Hartford, headed towards Kinsella Magnet School to see a student production of the classic story.
I always thought it was about being young at heart, as represented by the ageless Pan. But even if Peter doesn’t age, time still passes.
Walking down the street to Kinsella was a stark reminder of this fact, because I lived on that street 30 years ago. The World War II-era projects that I lived in have been torn down, replaced with beautiful, modern townhouses. While the building that my brother attended elementary school in remains the same (I was bussed out), Kinsella has reorganized itself into a performing arts school that draws students from far and wide. Time marches on.
We’re not here to talk about me, though. We’re here to talk about the play. The Kinsella students put on a brisk 40-minute production where they handled everything from music to lighting and everything in between. The music was performed live by Pratham Kushwah on piano; he was used to comedic effect as well.
Kinsella’s production of Peter Pan benefited from its cast members actually being children. Very talented adult actors have made great theater, but only real children can harness the zany energy of youth.
And harness it they did. The eponymous character was played by Dwayne Gonzalez, as excitable in his performance as a real boy who can fly would be. He and his partner-in-crime Tinkerbell, performed by Zionna Livingston, had great synergy. Where Peter was exuberant, Tinkerbell was sullen and rude, which led to hilarious moments.
Of course, it’s not Peter Pan without the Wendy Darling. Tilly Reinhardt was spot on as a young woman torn between the promise of perpetual youth and the opportunities of adult life. Reinhardt’s performance made me realize that Wendy is the main character of the story, not Peter. The Pan may enjoy endless summer vacation, but he never grows or changes, in the literal or metaphorical sense. He’ll always be chasing his shadow and hanging with the Lost Boys. Meanwhile, Wendy went to Neverland to take on an adult role explicitly by becoming the mother of Pan’s band. Even if she hadn’t decided to go back home, she knew that she couldn’t be a child forever. Time marches on.
The star of the production was Avery Charlemagne. Even at such a young age, Avery was able to capture the humorous narcissism of Captain James Hook. Avery was bombastic in the best way, using his body and voice to make the great Captain Hook, well, great. Except that he isn’t, because at base he’s a man who spends every day coming up with elaborate plans to murder a bunch of children. Avery embodied the pathetic nature of Hook just as well, as his latest plan of course failed to dispose of Pan or Tiger Lilly.
It was a pleasure to see one of my favorite stories retold again, and to experience it with the youthful energy that really exists in Neverland. I’m keeping my program as a souvenir, because I’m certain I’ll be seeing these students' names again in the bright lights someday.
NEXT
Jamil goes to check out a new exhibit featuring women artists.
