Jeremy Bloom's PETER/WENDY World Premiere to Open at the cell, 5/30

the cell: A Twenty First Century Salon, Founding Artistic Director Nancy Manocherian, and Artistic Director Kira Simring, have announced the world premiere production of PETER/WENDY adapted and directed by Jeremy Bloom from J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan and Wendy" and "The Little White Bird" and scored by the indie band, The Books. PETER/WENDY will play a limited engagement utilizing the unique multi-level, indoor and outdoor space of the cell (338 W. 23rd St NYC).

Performances begin Thursday, May 30 and continue through Saturday, June 22. Opening Night is Saturday, June 1 (8 p.m.). Press are invited to all performances starting Thursday, May 30th. Tickets are available at www.thecelltheatre.org.

"Do you know why I come here, Wendy? I come here to hear stories," declares Peter Pan, the fearless boy who refuses to grow up and the protagonist of Peter/Wendy, a new adaptation of the fanciful childhood tale.

Conceived and directed by Jeremy Bloom (Leaves of Grass at the cell), a protégé of Tony Award winning Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses & The White Snake), the plight of Peter takes on new life in an anxiety-ridden, deadly adventurous world of love, fairy dust and twilight. The pajama-clad performers, an exuberant ensemble of lost boys, pirates, fairies, and mermaids, explore familiar text compiled from the J.M. Barrie novels, "Peter Pan and Wendy" and "The Little White Bird." Featuring Bloom's signature low-tech, inventive image staging, Peter/Wendy reveals the nuances of Neverland.

"While researching Barrie's novels for a different play," said Bloom, "I was struck by how deeply exhilarating and dark the text is on a psychological level, beyond the animatronic and animated portrayals of the story we grew up watching."

Since its inception in 2006, the cell: A Twenty 1st Century Salon? (Nancy Manocherian, Founding Director; Kira Simring, Artistic Director) has been, and continues to be, an incubator for creative projects. Through its strong commitment to cultivate undiscovered artists, the cell has created residencies for diverse groups including the Tandem Reading Series, Center for Contemporary Opera and The Blackboard Reading Series. the cell is located in the heart of Chelsea, New York City. For more information, visit www.thecelltheatre.org.

Jeremy Bloom is the artistic director of RADY&BLOOM Collective Playmaking, whose accolades include residencies at the Ice Factory Festival and the IRT Theater, and grants from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund (made possible by the New York State Department of Cultural Affairs). Favorite credits include LEAVES OF GRASS (NUDE) previously at the cell. Jeremy is a Drama League Directing Fellow, EST Resident Director, Soho Rep Lab Director, and participated in the TS Eliot US/UK Exchange at The Old Vic. Jeremy is Artistic Executive at Evenstar Films and an adjunct faculty member at Montclair State University Department of Theater. www.radyandbloom.com

Peter/Wendy will run at the cell: A Twenty First Century Salon, 338 West 23rd Street New York, NY, May 30 through June 22. Tickets are $10-$18 at www.peterwendy.brownpapertickets.com.

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