peter pan study guide

Charleston Stage: Peter Pan Curriculum Guide

J.M. Barie’s Peter Pan

Education Guide


Setting The Stage Credits Peter Pan By J. M. Barrie Directed by Julian Wiles and Marybeth Clark Sound Design by Amanda Wansa Scenery Design By Stefanie Christensen Costume Design by Barbara Young Sponsored by: Sponsorship still available Theatre Etiquette Discuss proper audience behavior with your students. While applause, laughter, and reaction, when appropriate, are appreciated and anticipated, unnecessary noise or movement can distract the actors and audience members, while also affecting the quality of the performance. It is very important that students understand how their behavior can affect a live performance. You, the teacher, and other adult chaperones for your group are responsible for your student’s behavior. We ask that the chaperones sit among the students rather than together in a group behind the students. Our ushers will react to disruptions and attempt to quell them. We reserve the right to remove any student causing a distraction from the theatre. When entering the theatre venue please make sure all of your students have name tags with their name and your school’s name.


Meet the Creators, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

Sir James Matthew Barrie (J.M. Barrie) 9 May 1860 – 19 June 1937: was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright. There he met the Llewelyn Davies, and the boys who inspired him in writing about a baby boy who has magical adventures in Kensington Gardens (included in The Little White Bird), then to write Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, a "fairy play" about this ageless boy and an ordinary girl named Wendy who have adventures in the fantasy setting of Neverland. This play quickly overshadowed his previous work and although he continued to write successfully, it became his best-known work, credited with popularizing the name Wendy, which was very uncommon previously. Barrie unofficially adopted the Davies boys following the deaths of their parents. Before his death, he gave the rights to the Peter Pan works to Great Ormond Street Hospital, which continues to benefit from them.

Characters CAST Peter Pan is the main character of the play and the novel. He is described in the novel as a young boy who still has all his first teeth; he wears clothes made of hemp. He is the only boy able to fly without the help of fairy dust, and he can play the flute. Peter is afraid of nothing except women. He loves Wendy; however, it is not a romantic love — he thinks of her as his mother. Barrie attributes this to "the riddle of his existence". The Darling Family ● Wendy Darling — Wendy is the eldest, the only daughter and the heroine of the novel.


She loves the idea of homemaking and storytelling and wants to become a mother. ● John Darling — John is the middle child. He gets along well with Wendy, but he often argues with Michael. He is fascinated with pirates, and he once thought of becoming "Redhanded Jack". ● Michael Darling — Michael is the youngest child. He is approximately five years old, as he still wears the pinafores young Edwardian boys wear. He looks up to John and Wendy, dreaming of living in a wigwam where his friends visit at night. He was named after Michael Llewelyn Davies. ● Mr. and Mrs. Darling — George and Mary Darling are the children's loving parents. Mr. Darling is a pompous, blustering businessman who seeks to attract attention but he is really kind at heart. Mary Darling is described as an intelligent, romantic lady. It is hinted that she knew Peter Pan before her children were born. ● Nana — Nana is a Newfoundland dog who is employed as a nanny by the Darling family. Nana does not speak or do anything beyond the physical capabilities of a large dog, but acts with apparent understanding of her responsibilities. Lost Boys Tootles — Tootles is the humblest Lost Boy because he often misses out on their violent adventures. Although he is often stupid, he is always the first to defend Wendy. Nibs — Nibs is probably the bravest Lost Boy. Slightly — Slightly is the most conceited because he believes he remembers the days before he was "lost". He is the only Lost Boy who "knows" his last name. Curly — Curly is the most troublesome Lost Boy. The Twins — First and Second Twin know little about themselves — they are not allowed to, because Peter Pan does not know what Twins are (he thinks that twins are two parts of the same person). Inhabitants of Neverland ● Tiger Lily — is the proud, beautiful princess of the Piccaninny Tribe. She is apparently old enough to be married, but she refuses any suitors because she desires Peter over all. She is jealous of Wendy and Tinker Bell. ● Tinker Bell — is Peter Pan's fiery, jealous fairy. She is described as a common fairy who mends pots and kettles and, though she is sometimes ill-behaved and vindictive, at other times she is helpful and kind to Peter (for whom she has romantic feelings). ● Captain James Hook — is the vengeful pirate who lives to kill Peter Pan. ● Mr. Smee — is an Irish nonconformist pirate. He is the boatswain of the Jolly Roger. ● Gentleman Starkey — He is Captain Hook's first mate. ● Fairies, Pirates, Indians, Mermaids, Birds, Animals Synopsis of PETER PAN

Spoiler alert, you may not want to read this before seeing the play.


Peter makes night-time calls on Kensington, London, listening in on Mrs. Mary Darling's bedtime stories by the open window. One night Peter is spotted and, while trying to escape, he loses his shadow. On returning to claim it, Peter wakes Mary's daughter, Wendy Darling. Wendy succeeds in re-attaching his shadow to him, and Peter learns that she knows lots of bedtime stories. He invites her to Neverland to be a mother to his gang, the Lost Boys, children who were lost in Kensington Gardens. Wendy agrees, and her brothers John and Michael go along. Their magical flight to Neverland is followed by many adventures. The children are blown out of the air by a cannon and Wendy is nearly killed by the Lost Boy Tootles. Peter and the Lost Boys build a little house for Wendy to live in while she recuperates. Soon John and Michael adopt the ways of the Lost Boys.

Peter welcomes Wendy to his underground home, and she immediately assumes the role of mother figure. Peter takes the Darlings on several adventures, the first truly dangerous one occurring at Mermaids' Lagoon. At Mermaids' Lagoon, Peter and the Lost Boys save the princess Tiger Lily and become involved in a battle with the pirates, including the evil Captain Hook. Peter is wounded when Hook claws him. He believes he will die, stranded on a rock when the tide is rising, but he views death as "an awfully big adventure". Luckily, a bird allows him to use her nest as a boat, and Peter sails home. Because he has saved Tiger Lily, the Indians are devoted to him, guarding his home from the next imminent pirate attack. Meanwhile, Wendy begins to fall in love with Peter, at least as a child, and asks Peter what kind of feelings he has for her. Peter says that he is like her faithful son. One day while telling stories to the Lost Boys and her brothers, John and Michael, Wendy recalls about her parents and then decides to take them back and return to England. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to Peter, Wendy and the boys are captured by Hook, who also tries to poison Peter's medicine while the boy is asleep. When Peter awakes, he learns from the fairy Tinker Bell that Wendy has been kidnapped – in an effort to please Wendy, he goes to drink his medicine. Tink does not have time to warn him of the poison, and instead drinks it herself, causing her near death. Peter invokes the sympathy of children who might be dreaming of him, and Tinker Bell is saved.

Peter heads to the ship. On the way, he encounters the ticking crocodile; Peter decides to copy the tick, so any animals will recognise it and leave him unharmed. He does not realise that he is still ticking as he boards the ship, where Hook cowers, mistaking him for the crocodile. While the pirates are searching for the crocidile, Peter sneaks into the cabin to steal the keys and frees the Lost Boys. When the pirates investigate a noise in the cabin, Peter defeats them. When he finally reveals himself, he and Hook fall to the climactic battle, which Peter easily wins. He kicks Hook into the jaws of the waiting crocodile, but the wicked pirate promises that he will return. Then Peter takes control of the ship, and sails the seas back to London.

In the end, Wendy decides that her place is at home, much to the joy of her heartsick mother. Wendy then brings all the boys but Peter back to London. Before Wendy and her brothers arrive at their house, Peter flies ahead, to try and bar the window so Wendy will think her mother has forgotten her. But when he learns of Mrs Darling's distress, he bitterly leaves the door unlocked and flies away. Peter returns briefly, and he meets Mrs. Darling, who has agreed to adopt the Lost Boys. She offers to adopt Peter as well, but Peter refuses, afraid they will "catch him and make him a man". It is hinted that Mary Darling knew Peter when she was a girl, because she is left slightly changed when Peter leaves.


Peter promises to return for Wendy every spring. The end of the play finds Wendy looking out through the window and saying into space, "You won't forget to come for me, Peter? Please, please don't forget". Curriculum Connections Flying by Foy “The art of modern stage flight begins in 1950 with the arrival in America of the dashing young Englishman, Peter Foy, to stage the flying for Broadway's Peter Pan. His newly developed systems allowed for soaring aerial choreography that thrilled audiences that marked the beginning of a new era in stage flight. Soon "Flying by Foy" became the standard of the industry. The standard stands today. Foy continues to lead the industry in safety, artistry, innovation, and collaboration. From scores of Broadway shows, to NASA Moon Simulations, to flying angels flying in churches, our work has inspired and touched the lives of millions. While there are a few other companies specializing in such work, none has as rich record of artistry, excellence, innovation,craftsmanship, breadth, and safety. Fly by Foy! We never let our clients down ;-)”- Broadway Shows that have used Flying by Foy 1. 9-5 2. Aida 3. American Idiot 4. Angels in America 5. Beach Blanket Babylon * 6. Beauty and the Beast 7. Billy Elliot 8. Blast! 9. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 10. Coram Boy 11. Dracula the Musical 12. Equus 13. Fiddler on the Roof 14. Frog and Toad 15. Fool Moon (Bill Irwin) 16. Godspell 17. It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman 18. Jerome Robbins Broadway 19. Jesus Christ Super Star 20. Kiss of the Spider Woman 21. Largely New York 22. Lion King


23. The Lieutenant of Inishmore (2006) 24. The Little Prince and the Aviator 25. Man of La Mancha 26. Mary Poppins 27. Michael Todd's Peep Show 28. My Favorite Year 29. Nine 30. Out of This World 31. Peter Pan with Jean Arthur 32. Peter Pan with Mary Martin 33. Peter Pan with Sandy Duncan 34. Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby 35. Phantom of the Opera 36. The Pirate Queen 37. Raggedy Ann 38. Ragtime 39. The Red Shoes 40. Seussical 41. Spamalot 42. Tale of Two Cities 43. Tarzan 44. Threepenny Opera 45. Tommy 46. Well 47. The Wiz 48. You're Welcome America: Will Ferrell on Broadway Discussion before the Performance All Language Arts completes the following standards:

o Developing and using oral communication o Understanding and reading literary texts o Understanding and using informational texts o Building Better vocabulary o Developing written communication o Developing and using research strategies

All Social Studies meets the following standards:

o Understanding of different life around them and across the world o Understanding of different regions and human systems

All Theatre Activities meet the following standards:

– Connecting ideas and action – Understanding characters


Discussion Prompts 1. Are you familiar with the story of Peter Pan? What are you expecting to be different from the Disney film and the theatrical play? 2. How would growing up without a family change the way you live? What would you not understand or might believe different? 3. When playing, many children picture themselves to be a mother or a father. Wendy always wanted to be a mother and is given the chance to actually become one in the play Peter Pan to Peter and the Lost Boys. Would you be able to give up your life and become a parent for one or many children at your age? How would you, or wouldn’t you be able to become a parent? 4. How does the Flying by Foy enhance a production such as Peter Pan? Do you think it is a necessity to have the flying system for this production? Do you think a production of Peter Pan could work without a flying system? Activities After the Performance 1. Find another Disney story and present it in a theatrical setting. 2. Many contemporary musicals, movies, and TV shows have been based off of books that have been previously been written. Have your students find 5 theatrical productions that were first developed from books and show how they were transformed into theatrical shows. 3. Have your students describe their version of “Neverland”. What would they want to have in their ideal world where they wouldn’t ever grow up. Resources Books IN CIRCULATION AT CHARLESTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ● Neverland : J.M. Barrie, the du Mauriers, and the dark side of Peter Pan ● Walt Disney's Peter Pan ● Fairies and the quest for Never Land ● Peter and the Sword of Mercy ● Peter Pan in Return to Never Land [DVD] ● Peter Pan [DVD]


Web Resources www.peterpan.com “Let your imagination roam free” on this website that offers games, blogs, books, media, etc. www.flybyfoy.com Check out how the flying works in Peter Pan by Flying by Foy! www.theatremania.com You can always check on this site to see if a production of Peter Pan… is playing near you! http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/joseph.htm The Broadway Musical Home – a wonderful resource with show information www.ibdb.com International Broadway Database: Infinitely valuable resource for any theatergoer…has ALL information about any production produced on a Broadway stage with cast and crew info as well as replacements and show dates. http://www.musicalheaven.com/ Musical Heaven! Another all-inclusive musical theatre lovers’ website with show info ranging from original cast information to recording lists.

peter pan study guide

Documents