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A group of children playing dress-up becomes the vehicle for exploring childhood grief, forgiveness and joy in “Playing Peter Pan,” an original production written and directed by Cedarville University professor Eric Mishne. The show runs Oct. 2–22 at DeVries Theatre. Tickets are available at cedarville.edu/playtickets. 

Mishne — a 2008 Cedarville graduate, assistant professor of communication and director of forensics — pulls the hidden themes of Peter Pan onstage in a show that blurs the lines between playtime and poignancy. 

After graduating with a degree in theater, Mishneran a non-profit theater company in Columbus, Ohio. But it was through coaching Cedarville’s award-winning speech and debate team that he embraced a new creative outlet — forensics. Mishne feels coaching speech and debate prepared him to direct the play. 

“I essentially direct 50 different performances,” Mishne said. “Everyone on the team is doing their own 10-minute speeches and monologues, and I’m a mini-director of those.” 

The idea for "Playing Peter Pan” occurred to him eight years ago, when Mishne was working in a small theater.  

“What if this was not a story of Peter Pan, but a story of kids playing Peter Pan?” he mused. 

Last summer, he began writing — capturing the joy and energy of childhood with a cast that includes three child actors. 

“In this show, I don't want to notice when people are moving,” said Mishne. “I want to notice when people stop moving. The first half of this play is just fun. It's kids jumping around on stage, climbing on beds, jumping off of beds and playing all the characters.” 

But as Mishne wrote lighthearted scenes, heavier themes emerged — themes of forgiveness, loss and childhood grief. Mishne brought those layers to the surface crafting them into a story he hopes will resonate with the audience. 

“I'm not being idealistic in thinking that art changes the world,” said Mishne. “Because it does. It can move people in a way that changes them, makes them reconsider something, or helps them open up about something. If people watch this play together, they may realize they've never talked about their shared tragedy and talk about it now.” 

The production also marks a meaningful return for Mishne, who performed on the DeVries stage as a student and now debuts his original work from the director’s chair. 

“It’s a full circle moment,” said Mishne. “A dream come true.” 

Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it ranks among Ohio's largest private universities and is recognized by The Wall Street Journal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.