Mary Martin in the 1955 NBC broadcast of "Peter Pan."
Single Carrot Theatre enjoyed success with its first "community-based" project last season — "Promenade," a production that had audiences traveling by bus through various neighborhoods as various scenes played out on streets and sidewalks. The company has begun work on a second for this season, a new adaptation by Josh Conkel of the 1911 J. M. Barrie novel "Peter Pan," a version that will have a gay sensibility.
In addition to reaching out to such organizations as GLCCB, Chase Brexton LGBT Health Resource Center, LGBTQ Life at JHU, and GLSEN Maryland, Single Carrot will hold an open "story-sharing workshop" Wednesday evening to gather more input.
The Los Angeles-based Conkel, a playwright whose "MilkMilkLemonade" was staged by Single Carrot a few years ago and who currently writes for the Netflix show "A Series of Unfortunate Events," will attend the workshop. He has also been meeting with community members for the past few days.
"There are people who don't have it as easy as I do, and I feel the onus to get their stories into the play," Conkel says.
Conkel plans to write his adaptation over the next several months, returning to Baltimore for a workshop in January. The premiere is scheduled for late April.
One thing is for sure, this being a Single Carrot venture — "It will not be a children's story," de Mahy says.
The "Participate in Creating a New Play: Peter Pan" workshop will be held 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.