INDIANAPOLIS — Wesley Miller is happy to be returning to Neverland.

A sophomore at Lapel High School, Wesley has garnered a great deal of theatrical experience since appearing as a Lost Boy in the 2003 production of “Peter Pan” at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre.

“Over the years, I worked on my acting skills at a theater that opened up near my house and grew more attached to the theatrical arts every day,” he said, referring to Lee’s Theater in Anderson.

Wesley appeared in more than 15 productions at Lee’s over three years — including “Peter Pan.”

“When I heard that ‘Peter Pan’ was being done at Beef & Boards this year, I thought it would be a great opportunity to start spreading my horizons again and further hone my acting with some of the best in Indiana,” he said. “And I thought it would be really cool to be in the same play that I did five years ago.”

In 2003, he played the part of Nibs, the boy who wears a raccoon hat. Now he’s Slightly but Wesley particularly likes Captain Hook out of all the characters in “Peter Pan.”

“I absolutely love characters that get you to love the antagonist with comedy,” he explained. “He’s always trying to sound serious and powerful, but is always getting into scraps. That’s what I like most about him. I also really like Smee, because who wouldn’t love a goofy sidekick?”

Wesley admits that he thoroughly enjoys all aspects of the theater, from hearing an audience reaction to making new friends backstage, but he has other artistic inclinations as well.

“I’m a composer of musical pieces on the piano — I have been for as long as I can remember,” Wesley said. “When I’m not acting or doing work, you can always find me in front of my piano, coming up with a new tune to match my mood. I enjoy poetry a lot, too, but most of those become songs later on.”

Still, Wesley’s passion for the theater is something he’s counting on to last a lifetime.

“The ultimate career for me is professional acting,” he said. “The stage is my home. I live off of it. The audience is like the blood that keeps me alive, the acting is like water to drink and it refreshes me and keeps me going, and the fun backstage is what I feed off of to keep myself content and ready to go for the next day.”

But he’s also thinking ahead.

“My backup plan, just in case it doesn’t pay the bills, has something to do with science — preferably chemistry or psychology.”

And although his experience has taken him from Lost Boy to the Genie in “Aladdin,” Wesley admits there’s one major challenge that remains.

“For me, it’s transportation,” he said. “My schedule often crosses with my three sisters’ and my parents’ schedules and I need to find ways of getting to the practices and performances. But, somehow, I always seem to make it. And I’ll be getting my license soon, so I may not even have to worry about that anymore.”