When Patricia’s rains came, they came for days and rained out all outdoor events including the fair opening this weekend. Rodger grumbled that this was rather poor planning on the fair’s part, but before he really got off on a tangent, I hurriedly found other plans for us. Bossier Parish Community College Theatre was performing Peter Pan on Saturday night.
I’d never seen the story performed on a live theatre stage before and was completely thrilled. The story is one of my favorites, with all its whimsy and sparkle. In fact, I plan to have my own private library someday and am working on building it even now… and Peter Pan was the first book I ever bought for that library, a hardcover collector’s edition.
And in a college community theatre setting? Where heartfelt performance often makes up for elaborate set and costuming? Yes and yes. It had been almost a full year since I’d been in a theatre, and I was missing it anyway.
So I braved the downpour Saturday night to see the show. The opening music playing was from old nostalgic Disney movies: Cinderella, Pocahontas, Mary Poppins. As we all filed into the theatre, I noticed everyone had brought children and grandchildren, which I don’t often remember exist in my world but I love being around when I have the chance. I felt a bit like the old fart on Finding Neverland who overdressed and found themself next to a giggling kid: distracted, but charmed all the same.
The show made us all believe in magic, and not because of good directing or good acting, or clever stage blocking or good vocal performances. Everyone onstage was having the time of their lives. I tend to pick favorites when I watch a show, but at Peter Pan I had too many favorites.
If I had to pick, it’d probably have to be lost boy Sprightly. No more than five feet tall, baggy brown trousers and suspenders, bare feet and blonde hair poking from beneath the old hat he wore. He danced around the stage with abundant energy and a sweet, hopeful face making me believe he had no mother. I wanted to adopt him and take him home!
But then there was Smee, too. Ah, I don’t usually fall in love with pirates, but as Captain James Hook himself said, “You’re too lovable, Smee!” And so he was: tall, gangly, bumbling, Hook’s right (left?) hand. Isn’t Smee usually short and fat? I’ll never see him that way again.
Even the dreadful Captain James Hook himself had his moments, at least as villains go. When he captured all the lost boys, John, Michael, and Wendy, he sang a long song about what a terrible villain he was and it struck me how few times we actually hear the villain of any story admit to their own wrongdoing or nefarious behavior. Dale Carnegie says that few recognize themselves as bad people. Humans are quick to justify and rationalize their behavior; even cold-blooded, notorious Al Capone called himself a public benefactor working for the good of society. It is rare to hear a villain boast honestly about being the worst sort of person. So, James Hook, while unfortunately you are a terrible person and did some very bad things, you do at least get credit for being self-aware. I suppose it is a silver lining to growing up, gaining maturity, losing the magic of youth and the power to fly… If there have to be pirates in our world, I wish they would take a lesson from you.
Wendy, John, and Michael made it home, all the Lost Boys were adopted, and Peter Pan fell in love with Moira, all by ten o’clock. The curtain closed, but it closed behind the cast, who all ran offstage into the audience and met us!
Neverland isn’t just something in a movie or play… It’s in the little part of our world that believes in fairies and is magical, and if we watch for it, we’ll see it every day. Let’s adventure there more often.
-The Dauntless Princess-
