Peter pan the musical study guide

PETER PAN;
THE MUSICAL

Study Guide


Introduction
The Theatre Institute at Sage (TIS) is under the umbrella of the Department of
Arts and Letters (DAL) at Russell Sage College and is dedicated to providing quality
live theatre and arts-in-education programming to Capital Region students,
teachers and residents and enhancing the educations of Sage students by
providing opportunities through involvement as support staff and student
teachers.
Programs include educational support services for TIS and DAL productions (such
as in-class preparations, teacher in-services and study guides), a Saturday Theatre
Arts school, a Winter break Circus Skills camp, a Spring break Stage Combat camp,
and two three-week summer camps; Summer On-Stage and Summer Shakespeare
Institute.

Theatre at Sage
The Theatre Institute at Sage represents a commitment by Russell Sage College to
develop and continue to provide teachers, students and Capital Region residents
with quality live theatre and arts-in education opportunities.

Theatre Etiquette
Live theatre is an active and interactive experience
As members of the audience, you play an important part in the success of a
theatrical performance. Please review the following theatre rules with your
students prior to your visit. Food, drinks, candy and gum are not permitted in the
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theatre. The Theatre at Sage is a nut-free zone. Many children have severe lifethreatening allergies; NO PEANUTS or NUT products may be brought to our
theatre. No electronic devices are permitted in the theatre because they affect
our sound system. Photography, audio and video recording during a performance
are prohibited. Students are not permitted to leave the theatre unless they are
accompanied by an adult.

Theatre Is a Two-Way Exchange/ You are our partners.
Actors are thrilled when the audience is engaged and responsive. We want you to
laugh, cheer, clap and really enjoy your time at the theatre. However, please be
considerate audience members. Talking, whispering and excessive movement
during a live performance is distracting for the actors, and disruptive for other
audience members. Enhance your visit by encouraging your students to look at
different aspects of the production. Before the show, identify tasks for your class.
Have one group of students look at the set, another listen for the music and
sound-effects, a third watch the lighting and a fourth, the costumes. Ask them to
observe how details in the production elements help clarify the story of the play.
Compare notes after the show about what they observed. Your students will be
more informed and they’ll be surprised by how much they noticed.

This Study Guide
This study guide has been prepared by the staff of the Theatre Institute at Sage to
help you prepare your students to see the play and to work the performance into
your curriculum. In addition to background on the author, story and production
history, we have identified activities and areas of curriculum that relate directly to
Peter Pan: the Musical. Often activities will satisfy two or more of the NYS
Learning Standards. For example, an improvisational activity can be used to
explore character relationships as preparation for a writing exercise, constructing
a model of the stage flight rigging can be used to explore technology, geometry
and physics and a visual art activity can be used to identify community members.

It is our objective to suggest ideas for the creative, intellectual, social, physical
and emotional development of your students. We believe that drama, music and
dance activities are vital to a child’s development!
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Table of Contents
Introduction, Theatre at Sage, Theatre Etiquette
Theatre Is a Two-Way Exchange, This Study Guide
Table of Contents, J.M. Barrie Biography
Historical and Literary Context
Novel and Character History, Production History
History of Stage Flight
Themes
Synopsis, Characters
Our Production, Director’s Statement
Costume Design Statement
Scenic Design Statement, Lighting Designer
Rehearsal Photos, Getting Ready: Hair and Makeup
Final Dress Rehearsal
Classroom Activities
Questions for Discussion and Writing Assignments
Resources, Credits

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Biography and Historical Context
Tonya Moutray, PhD, Professor, Russell Sage College Dept. of Arts and Letters

Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937)

James Matthew
Barrie, author of Peter Pan, was one of ten children born to parents
Margaret and Alexander, in Kirriemuir, Scotland. Barrie’s childhood
was not an easy one; his brother David was tragically killed in an iceskating accident the day before his fourteenth birthday, leaving his
mother inconsolable; his father, a weaver, did not support Barrie’s
desire to become a writer, although he supported his education.
Studying literature at the University of Edinburgh, Barrie began
reviewing drama and was a full-time writer of fiction and short stories
by the 1890s. Having no children of his own, Barrie befriended the
Llewelyn Davies family to whose five boys he dedicated Peter Pan, first staged in London in
1904 and New York City the next year. A hit from the start, the play became the novel Peter and
Wendy (1911) and a series of adaptations and spin-offs followed, including a silent film in 1924
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and Disney’s animated classic in 1953. In 1912, Barrie commissioned the design and surprise
installation of a statue of Peter Pan, based on photographs of Michael Llewelyn Davies, the
child whom Barrie associated most with the legendary
character. However, the artist, Sir George Frampton, used
another child model and did not, according to Barrie,
capture the “devil” in Peter Pan. Appearing magically on May
1st in Kensington Gardens, where Barrie had met the
children originally, the statue memorialized not only his
relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family, but also his
story’s hold over the public imagination. Barrie published
the following announcement in the Times: "There is a
surprise in store for the children who go to Kensington
Gardens to feed the ducks in the Serpentine this morning.
Down by the little bay on the south-western side of the tail
of the Serpentine they will find a May-day gift by Mr. J.M.
Barrie, a figure of Peter Pan blowing his pipe on the stump of
a tree, with fairies and mice and squirrels all around. It is the
work of Sir George Frampton, and the bronze figure of the
Illustration of Peter Pan playing the pipes, by F.
D. Bedford from Peter and Wendy (1911)
boy who would never grow up is delightfully conceived."
Barrie was knighted into the Order of Merit in 1922 and
before his death, he bestowed the copyright of Peter Pan to
the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children.

Historical and Literary Contexts
By the time the character Peter Pan appeared on stage, the British Empire had enabled many
young men and some women to live far away from home. The young man who bucks
convention, preferring the fantasy of life-long adventure to the pressures of conforming to

British society, Peter Pan epitomizes male escapism in the twentieth century. Just as reading
adventure fiction was its own form of escape from the harsh realities of modern life, Peter’s
refusal to grow up signals the allure of a life of care-free adventure to the drudgery of school,
work, and family-life.
The presence of the British in places such as China, Africa, and the Malaysian Archipelago also
opened up limitless Neverlands, inspiring writers of fiction to explore the literary terrain of
adventure and travel. From Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island to W. Somerset
Maugham’s South Sea stories, adventure fiction was highly popular both before and after Peter
Pan. Beyond new settings, writers could also respond to current conflicts between local
populations and British colonials. For example, Barrie’s work was written during the Boer Wars
in South Africa, which involved British troops in a fight to suppress farmer’s revolts and to
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maintain control of the region. That Peter cannot go home may reference the stark reality that
many British youth did not return once they left. Although colonial outposts could quickly
become little “Britains,” accommodating mothers and wives in new and possibly dangerous
locales was yet another concern in both fiction and life.

Novel/Character History
The character of Peter Pan first appeared in 1902 in a section of The Little White Bird, a novel
written by J. M. Barrie for adults.
The stage play Peter Pan also known as The Boy Who Wouldn’t
Grow Up debuted on December 27th 1904.
The play was adapted and somewhat expanded as a novel which
was published in 1911 as Peter and Wendy (later as “Peter Pan and
Wendy", and still later as simply "Peter Pan").

Cover of 1915 edition of J. M.
Barrie's novel, first published in

1911,
illustrated by F. D. Bedford.

Following the highly successful debut of the 1904 play, Barrie's
publishers, Hodder and Stoughton, extracted chapters 13–18 of The
Little White Bird and republished them in 1906 under the title Peter
Pan in Kensington Gardens, with the addition of illustrations by
Arthur Rackham.

Peter Pan has appeared in a number of adaptations, sequels, and
prequels since then, including the widely known 1953 animated feature film Walt Disney's Peter
Pan. There have been various stage musicals (including one by Jerome Robbins, starring Cyril
Ritchard and Mary Martin, filmed for television) and multiple live-action feature films: Hook
(1991) and Peter Pan (2003). In 2006 Peter Pan in Scarlet, an authorized sequel novel was
published; the character has also appeared in various works not authorized by the holders of
the character's copyright, which has lapsed in most parts of the world.

Production History
The play Peter Pan started out as skits acted out for (and with) the sons of Sylvia and Arthur
Llewelyn Davies, but turned into one of the most popular plays ever. Barrie wrote the fulllength play in reaction to the Davies children's reaction to a pantomime play. Barrie figured it
would be easy and profitable to write a similar play. However, Barrie's script was originally
rejected because it was so elaborate. In 1904, plays generally did not involve flying and such
frequent and major scene changes.
With the confidence of producer and friend, Charles Frohman, Barrie put Peter Pan into
production. Actress Nina Boucicault originated the role of Peter. And as if having a 37-year-old
woman play a one-day-old boy was not unusual enough, the production of Peter Pan did not
follow a traditional path. Barrie gave minimal character notes to actors, as well as only a few
pages of script at a time. He was a perfectionist as a director, often keeping cast and crew up
to 15-18 hours at a time. Plus, the cast tended to find out about flying at the last minute.
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Maude Adams

1905

Mary Martin

1954

Sara Curtis

Sage/2010

Photo Elivia Bovenzi

Despite elaborate technical requirements, unusual rehearsal process and absurd, fantastical
plot elements, Peter Pan was a success. It swept England and then the United States in 1905,
with Maude Adams as the lead. Adams would go on to play the role of Peter Pan until 1915.
Oddly enough however, in all the seasons that Maude Adams played the role, Barrie never got
the opportunity to see her perform as Peter.
For nearly 70 years, the role of Peter Pan has been played by grown women. Though some
men and even boys have taken on the role in recent film versions, the memorable Peter Pans
have always been women. Pauline Chase was Barrie's favorite. She played the role for nine
straight seasons in London, from 1906-1914. Another actress who played Peter Pan for nine
seasons in London was Jean Forbes-Robertson. She played the part from 1927-1935, and again
during the 1938-1939 season. In London, the role would later be played by such actresses as
Hayley Mills and Maggie Smith. On Broadway, Peter Pan has been played by Maude Adams
(1905-1915), Marilyn Miller (1924-1925), Eva La Gallienne (1928-1933), Anne Edgar (1946), Jean
Arthur (1950-1951), Mary Martin (1954), Sandy Duncan (1979-1980) and most recently Cathy

Rigby (1990-1991). In addition, Peter Pan has been shown on television, been immortalized by
Walt Disney as a cartoon film, and been made into two other movies: Peter Pan (1924) and
Hook (1992).

History of Stage Flight
Flying by Foy/Peter Foy
While the history of theatrical flight dates back over two millennia, the art of stage flying took a
quantum leap in 1950 with the arrival in America of the dashing young Englishman, Peter Foy,
to stage the flying for a Broadway production of Peter Pan, starring Jean Arthur and Boris
Karloff. Foy returned four years later to fly Mary Martin's Peter Pan when the musical version
premiered on Broadway. He developed a new system allowing Martin's soaring aerial
choreography to thrill audiences and this marked the beginning of a new era in stage flying.
Peter Foy's technical innovations soon established "Flying by Foy" as the standard of the
industry.
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Photo Rebecca Barton

Photo Tamara Hansen

For our production of Peter Pan, the actors are flown by ZFX Flying Effects.

Themes
The value of childhood innocence.
As children, our innocence allows us to imagine the unthinkable. We can dream of being a
magnificent painter, a most adored ballerina, a brave fireman, a life-saving doctor or a worldclass singer unencumbered by the practical or the rational. In our imaginations we are without
limits. Through the character of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie encourages us to retain those qualities of
childhood that allow our imaginations to soar and to refuse to let anyone tell us that our
dreams are impossible!

The conflict between the innocence of childhood and the responsibility of
adulthood.
Peter Pan refuses to grow up. He also encourages the lost boys to stay forever children. While
Wendy, Michael and John are attracted to the irresponsibility of Neverland, they eventually
realize the negative aspects of childhood chaos. In the end, they and the lost boys chose the
world of parents and responsibility.

The conflict between the search for adventure and the desire for the stability of
home.
The attraction of adventure can be a tempting lure. Wendy, Michael and John are drawn to the
excitement of Neverland. However, the children eventually long for the stability of home. Even
Peter, though committed to staying forever the adventurer, longs for the comfort of a mother’s
love.
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Synopsis
Peter Pan tells the story of Peter – a mischievous young boy who will never grow up,
and the Darling children – a family of 3 children with riotous imaginations. In the beginning of
the play Peter sneaks into the Darling children’s nursery with his fairy sidekick Tinkerbell to hear
the children’s mother tell them their bedtime stories. He mistakenly leaves his shadow behind.
When he returns the next night to retrieve it he wakes the eldest sister Wendy and a great
friendship is formed. Peter tells Wendy about the magical island he is from, a place he calls
Neverland, where children will never grow old. He also tells her of the Lost Boys – forgotten
children living in Neverland. Wendy promises Peter that she will tell him and all of the Lost
Boys many great stories if he will bring her and her brothers into Neverland with him. Peter
agrees but first must teach them all to fly. Peter sprinkles all the children in fairy dust and tells
them they must all “think happy thoughts” and soon they will be flying. The act ends as Peter
and the children fly off into the night on their way to Neverland.

The second part of the play is filled with little boys, kindly Indians, fearsome pirates and
their crazy adventures. The Darling children arrive in Neverland just as a chase between the
Indians and the pirates has concluded where in they learn of Captain Hook the leader of the
pirates who is out to poison Peter Pan and all the Lost boys. They also learn of Tiger Lilly the
leader of the Indians – a wild, pirate hunting band of natives. The Darling children fight
alongside Peter Pan and the Indians in many battles against the villainous pirates until one day
the Darling boys become homesick and wish to return home. Wendy agrees that she is
homesick too and the many Lost Boys become sad that they do not have parents. Wendy offers
for her mother and father to adopt all of them and they become very excited to travel to
London and meet their new parents. After a final battle between the pirates and the children in
which Peter defeats Hook, the Darlings return with all of the Lost Boys to their home where
their parents are anxiously awaiting their return. After many years, Peter returns to the
Darling’s nursery to see Wendy and is surprised to find that she is all grown up and has a
daughter of her own. Wendy is too old to visit Neverland but her daughter, Jane, and Peter
become fast friends and, as the play concludes, fly off to Neverland together.

Characters
Peter Pan: A boy who does not want to grow up, who can fly.
Tinker Bell: A fairy

The Darling Family, both generations
Wendy Moira Angela Darling: the eldest of the Darling children.
John Darling: Wendy's younger brother.
Michael Darling: Wendy's youngest brother.
Mr. George Darling: the father of the Darling family.
Mrs. Mary Darling: their mother.
Nana: the dog/nurse.
Liza: the family's maid.
Jane: Wendy's daughter.

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The Lost Boys of Neverland
Slightly Soiled.
Tootles.
Twin #1, Twin #2.
Curly.
Nibs.

Tiger Lily, the princess of the Indian tribe.
The Pirates
Captain Hook: Peter's nemesis.
Smee: Hook's 1st Mate.
Starkey.
Bill Jukes.
Cecco.
Noodler.
Mullins.

Our Production
Director’s Statement/Michael Musial
When I was a kid, I remember watching the television and chancing upon an image of a boy
chasing his shadow. I became curious and sat through the entire movie. From that moment on,
my relationship with the character of Peter Pan was never the same.
Throughout the years, I found myself collecting Peter Pan
memorabilia. Family and friends would give me Peter Pan
themed ornaments at Christmas time. When I was in college I
music directed “Peter Pan” and later attended a Shaw Festival
production of the play that used grown men in ragged business

suits as the “Lost Boys” and interpreted Peter as a grungy
twenty-something searching for himself. During a visit to
London, where the whole story of the magical boy began, I
marveled at and took pictures of the Big Ben clock tower
imagining Peter Pan, Wendy, Michael and John flying around it.
So what’s all the fuss about the “Boy Who Never Grew Up?” For
me, there’s something more than the flying, the stunning
scenery, the clever Indians, the swashbuckling sword fights and
the breath-taking flying scenes. I think what makes an impact on me, as a Peter Pan fanatic, are
the great lessons to be learned from his adventurous life, lessons that can teach us the power
of believing and imagination.
Peter Pan strongly believes in dreams. If we look past the curious tale and listen closely, he
shows us how to reach them. Compelling life lessons to take from his story include producing
tangible and touchable results using child-like faith and imagination.
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Our imaginations as kids or even adults can see us doing the unthinkable. A child’s innocence
allows dreaming of being a magnificent painter, a most adored ballerina, a brave fireman, a lifesaving doctor, or a world-class singer admired by millions. Peter Pan isn’t really telling us he
doesn’t want to get old, he’s simply saying he refuses to let anyone tell him that his dreams are
impossible!
Peter Pan teaches us that our dreams and affirmations are the very tools we need to soar high
and take flight. And in so doing, things we don’t even know could be possible, are indeed
possible.
When we begin to believe, things start to take place and actually happen — imagination is the
first step in any journey. Peter Pan believes that all he needs to fly is a little pixie dust and
happy thoughts!
If we once again become childlike in our dreams and aspirations, and truly believe in them, then
whatever we picture in our minds will take flight.

Production Costume Designer/Elivia Bovenzi
Resident Costume Designer/Jenn Dugan
The story of Peter Pan and his boyish adventures brings to light the classic Disney cartoon
images to live action. Everyone knows Peter wears a green tunic and Captain Hook has iconic
black curls long past his chin. Translating cartoon to stage is all in the details. Since this is a
remount in regards to costuming, previous designer Elivia Bovenzi put into motion the concept
of details starting with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. The idea of these kids living in the forest
brought touches of leaves, distressing and wilderness without overwhelming the small stage.
This time around we go further as even more details can be added, keeping in mind how “big”
they need to be for this larger stage.

David Girard as Captain Hook
Photos Elivia Bovenzi

Aisha Curtiss as Tiger Lily the Indian

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Peter Pan Costume Detail


The biggest challenge in a remount is trying to use similar costume pieces when they may not
exist anymore, the performer has outgrown them, or another performer has been cast in that
role, as well as replicating sets of matching costumes when a larger ensemble is cast. Because
this fantasy is such an iconic story, the costumes enhance the iconic characters while fusing
both Elivia’s and my design aesthetics.
Jenn Dugan

Scenic Designer’s Statement/Duncan Morrison

Model of the Darling Nursery/ Duncan Morrison

Peter Pan Props

The story of Peter Pan begins, as most people know and will most vividly remember, in the
Darling family’s nursery. The nursery is set on a top floor of the Darling’s Bloomsbury home
overlooking a “leafy square”. It is here that Wendy, Michael and John play, act out imagined
adventures, and dream. So it is here that we will stage the entirety of the musical. Just as the
children use the toys and other objects about them to tell their tales, when the nightlights are
turned down and Peter takes his companions off to Neverland, the nursery itself will become
the basis for all of their adventures. Pieces of scenery, inspired by the storybooks the children
read and the toys they play with, will transform the room into the fabled Neverland. The idea
being that the things around us will inform the way we see things, imagine things and
remember things. We may leave the nursery but do we ever truly leave it behind?
Was it real? Was it a dream? Did Peter really fly us off to a place where we would never have to
grow up?
Just think lovely thoughts.

Lighting Designer/Bob Brisson

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Rehearsal Photos

The Lost Boys/ Peter/ Hook “I Won’t Grow Up”

Peter (Sara Curtis) and Hook (David Girard)

Director (Michael Musial)

Getting Ready/ Hair and Makeup

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Photos Rebecca Barton

Final Dress Rehearsals

Peter (Sara Curtis) and Hook (David Girard) in the climactic swordfight
Photo Rebecca Barton

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Classroom Activities
ADVENTURE DRAMAS: Teacher leads the class in the role of Peter Pan as students act out an
adventure that includes their participation with sound and movement. On this imaginative
journey, students overcome obstacles and solve problems for themselves and the group. (K-3rd
grade)
A LITTLE LESS NOISE: Teacher selects an environment (city, jungle, and playground) and each
student decides what sound they will make. Teacher uses signal and conducts the group like an
orchestra to make the noises louder, softer, faster slower, etc. (K-3rd grade)
PIRATE LORE: Teacher will share some of the history of real pirates and students will
create their own pirate character. What is the pirate's name, what does he or she look like,
what does he or she wear (pirates wear their treasures), where are they from, what do they
eat, etc. Have students introduce themselves "in character" and tell some things about their
pirate life. (K-6th grade)
PICTURE NEVERLAND: We all have a place like Neverland in our own imaginations where time

stands still and everything is just the way we want it to be. Where is your “Neverland”? What
kinds of things are there? Draw a picture of what your Neverland looks like as you see it. (1st-4th
grade)
LET'S TELL A STORY: Students sit in circle and work together to create a story. As they take
turns, each student ends their part with "And Then..." or alternating with But(introduces
conflict)/So(solves problem) (2nd Grade +)
NANA, THE PROTECTOR: As man's best friend, how might we take care of our master? Imagine
that you are "Nana" and have the responsibility of taking care of a family like the Darlings
perhaps your own. What kinds of things would be on your "To Do List" to make sure that
everyone has what they need and is well taken care of? (2nd-4th grade)
OBJECT TRANSFORMATION: Pass a simple object around the circle (a piece of fabric works
best), imbue the object with "magic" and tell students that it can become anything they'd like it
to be. Then have them "show" what it is by using the object.
Pass another object and do the same thing. In a third round you can remove the object and
simply have students use their imagination to create the object and show us what it is. (2nd -6th
grade)
WHAT IS HOME: Describe a room that you feel at home in, your bedroom, your classroom, or
another place that makes you feel safe and comfortable. Draw a floor plan (which is a "Bird's
Eye View") of all the things that are in this place. Why do you feel “at home” there? (3rd grade+)
PLOT POINTS: Break the class up into groups of 5 students. Give each group 10 minutes to
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decide the main ten plot points or events in the story (ex: Wendy and the boys going withPeter,
Tinkerbell drinking the poison, the crocodile attacking Hook). Assign each group the task of
creating tableau pictures to represent each of their plot points. They will need to play many
characters and be creative about body language to communicate the ideas they choose. Have
them rehearse the tableaus in sequence, shifting to the next every ten seconds. This creates a
snap-shot version of the story. Have groups present their version of the plot points to the rest
of the class. This exercise promotes discussion of the main events or plot points in the play. The

discussion can develop into a critique of how these points were presented in the production.
Discuss the clarity and emphasis of production choices. (3rd grade+)
I WILL GROW UP: Students will write on cue cards 2 or 3 different occupations of what they'd
like to be when they grow up. Cards will be collected by teacher and shuffled. Students will
come up one at a time and "act out" the job by miming what that person does and other
students will guess. (4th-5th grade)
TECHNOLOGY: Using string, cardboard and other art supplies, design and construct a model of a stage
system to fly actors for a production of Peter Pan. How can you incorporate strings and pulleys so that
you can move the actors up and down, right to left and forward and backward. (4rd grade +)

WRITE A SEQUEL TO PETER PAN: Tell us what happens when Peter and Wendy’s daughter,
Jane, fly away to Neverland. Do they have similar types of experiences? (5th grade+)
BIOGRAPHY: Write a biography for your favorite character in Neverland. Tell us their past.
Where did they live before we saw them? How did they end up in Neverland? (5th grade+)
CREATIVE WRITING: J.M. Barrie populated Neverland with a collection of characters that he
thought would fascinate children. If you created your version of Neverland, a fantastical place
in which you can stay a child forever and never have to grow up, with whom would you
populate it? Who would be the characters of your Neverland? (5th grade +)
WHAT WOULD TINKERBELL SAY?: What does the character of Tinkerbell represent? What is her
function in the play? Why does Peter work so hard to get the audience’s help to bring her back to life? If
Tinker bell could talk, what would she say? To Peter? To Wendy? Write a scene between Tinkerbell,
Wendy and Peter. (6th grade +)

Questions for Discussion and Writing Assignments
-What do you think about living forever as a kid and never growing up? Would you be
interested in doing that? What are the good parts of that? What would you miss out on if you
never grew up?
-Peter Pan is also about the idea of "play vs. work". Do you still make believe, pretending you
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are Peter or Wendy or Hook? At what age do you think we start to tell children to stop
pretending? Do you get embarrassed when someone catches you playing make-believe? Do
you think we should always be able to pretend? Do you think we let boys or girls play pretend
longer? When do we start to think it's babyish?
-Mr. Darling becomes Hook in Neverland. Why do you think the playwright made that choice?
Do you think the choice is somehow reflective of the role of parents in 1904 when this play was
originally written?
-Neverland is a fantasy world, but it is not perfect. There is danger there in the form of the
pirates and the crocodile. Why does the author include “bad” things in his fantasy world?
-How do the female characters in the story differ from the male characters? How is the year
when the original story was written (1904) influential in the development of the character
gender?
-The kids go to bed and then the whole adventure starts when Peter arrives. Do you think it's
like a dream? Do you remember your dreams? Have you ever had a dream where you were
flying? Or one where you were chased by pirates?
-What do you think about the idea of having a dog baby-sit you like Nana, the Darling's dog in
the story? Have you ever had a pet that you felt took care of you? Do you know pets that care
for humans like humans for children? In what ways do the pets care for the humans?
-What is it about being able to fly that is appealing to humans? What other works of literature
have the characters flying or being transported through space and time?
-Of the three groups in Neverland, the Lost Boys, the pirates and the Indians, which would you
most like to play with? Which character in that group most appeals to you?
-Can you imagine a world without adults? What would be different?
-Is there any way to make Peter Pan a completely politically correct play? What would have to
change?
-There is a certain level of violence in Peter Pan, which cannot be denied. Why do you think
that is? What do you think the violence represents in the world of fantasy that is Neverland?
How do you feel the violence in the production was handled? Was it realistic? Fantastical?
Dangerous? Playful?

-Since the original stage production of the play, the role of Peter Pan is traditionally played by a
woman. Why do you think this is?
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To read more books about or by J. M. Barrie:
For younger readers:
Peter and Wendy
The Little White Bird
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
When Wendy Grew Up: An Afterthought
For older readers:
The Peter Pan Chronicles, by Bruce K. Hanson
J. M. Barrie and the Lost Boys, by Andrew Birkin
Sentimental Tommy
Tommy and Grizel
Margaret Ogilvy

Other Reading
Peter and the Starcatchers: A prequel to the story of Peter and Wendy/ Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.
Beerbohm, Max. "The Child Barrie" in the Saturday Review, January 7, 1905.
Green, Roger Lancelyn. J. M. Barrie: A Walck Monograph, Henry Z. Walck, 1960.
Jack, R. D. S. The Road to the Never Land: A Reassessment of J. M. Barrie's Dramatic Art,
Aberdeen University Press.
Shout, John D. "From Nora Helmer to Wendy Darling: If You Believe in Heroines, Clap Your
Hands" in Modern Drama, 1992.

Green, Roger Lancelyn. Fifty Years of Peter Pan, Peter Davies, 1954.
Review of Peter Pan in The Illustrated London News, January 7, 1905.

Study Guide Prepared By:
Theatre Institute at Sage Staff
Contributors:
Michael Musial
Jenn Dugan
Duncan Morrison
Tonya Moutray, PhD
Marian Pingree

-17-


For tickets, answers to questions
and more information contact:
David Bunce
Sara Melita
www.sage.edu/theatreinstitute
518-244-4504

Theatre Institute at Sage
Department of Arts and Letters
Russell Sage College
65 First Street
Troy, NY 12180

www.sage.edu/theatreinstitute