About a week ago, I was asking Ethan if knew of any other gifts Rebecca would like for Christmas. It just didn't feel like I'd found the perfect gift for her. He mentioned that she would like tickets for her and Baby to see a play put on by the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC titled Peter Pan and Wendy. I looked it up and discovered that it was playing when we were going to be in the area, and I decided that several of us would go :-)
I love our family book club. It has opened our eyes to so many more references in the world, and studying the books we choose has really enhanced our lives. We have sweet discussions about so many ideas and thoughts that I know would never come up in normal conversation. When I chose to read Peter Pan last year, I had no idea that it would end up meaning so much to several of us. Because I was the moderator of the book, I also sent Baby her own materials to study it as well. I gave her the Disney movie as well as a Little Golden Book of the story. Thank goodness that Ethan and Rebecca did what they needed to to introduce her to the story, and it didn't take long for the characters of Peter Pan to infiltrate her playtime. She loved the pirates and the crocodile the most, but Tiger Lily, Tinkerbell, Peter Pan and Wendy were all there too. I loved to "tick tock" with her. So I was excited to take her to see the actual play.
I can think of many movies where children are shown in the audience with a look of wonder on their faces. Their eyes are focused on the stage, their little mouths are usually hanging open a bit, and they are completely captivated. I wondered if Baby would even be able to sit still for the 2+ hour playing time, and I hoped for the same look on her face. The recommended age was five and older, and with her being four and not having the greatest attention span, I was a bit worried. However, not having the money to buy any of the $100 seats, I chose the only $35 seats that were left....on the front row. If anything was going to hold Baby's attention, it was sitting in the front row, and if anyone was going to see her misbehave, it would be everyone sitting behind us.
We drove as quickly as we could from Longwood, changed back into our church clothes in the car, and got dropped off right in front of the theatre. No thanks to the very ineffective ushers, we finally found our seats. Baby was given a children's program, and no sooner had she sat down, then she opened it. There were pictures of the actors along with a description of them, and just once and one time only, I pointed out who was playing what. No joke, she could repeat back to us who everyone was. How thankful I was that she already knew the characters of the story! She was mesmerized by those two pages.
When the play began, I knew instantly it was going to be something wonderful. I could believe that the actors were their characters, and there they were, right in front of us. Baby's eyes were fixed on everyone, and to her credit, she understood what was happening on stage. She laughed at the right times, was nervous during others (the pirates especially) and when Peter Pan and Hook were having an existential discussion about what dreams children would have depending on which one of them ruled Neverland, she turned to me and asked, "Lollie, are the pirates going to take away my dreams?" During the intermission, she even mourned the fact that the Lost Boys' hideout had been burned by the pirates. All of the sensitivity that we sometimes fault Baby for having made for a perfect evening for her....and for us.
I've been around a lot of children lately, and something I've noticed is that a screen is an essential element of childrearing. However, I occasionally run across children who don't need one--children who are able to hold a conversation, or sit quietly by themselves, or who can self-entertain. I'm so thankful that Baby's life doesn't revolve around a screen, and that she doesn't need quick-draw action to be entertained. She has this beautiful mind that can process conversations and actions and stories, and much of that credit goes to Ethan and Rebecca who have taken the time to teach her how to be her own little person.
So some details of the play (which I know I will forget):
Yes, there was flying. Baby never mentioned the wires, so I don't know if she knew what was happening.
Wendy was a modern girl, not allowing the lost boys to call her "mother" because she wanted to be an astronomer (and study the stars), but in the end, she said that she would be happy to be an astronomer AND a mother AND an explorer.
Tinkerbell and the pirates were the comedic elements of the show, and they were brilliant. The pirates were just evil enough to be scary for Baby, but funny enough to get laughs out of the adults. And Tinkerbell was a sass, much like the book. She kept us in stitches even though she was probably 40 years old in gold lamé.
The crocodile was in the form of a Chinese dragon. His huge head would appear off stage right. We then imagined his huge body wrapping around the back of the stage, and the end of his tail appeared off stage left. He and Tiger Lily were the best of friends, and when she would pet his head, his tail would wiggle like a dog's.
Hook was existential, always thinking of power and how it could influence people. Very appropriate in our current political climate.
At the beginning of the second act, the curtains parted and there was a transparent screen with what looked like water behind it. The mermaid came swimming on stage, and Baby about lost it. And to make the evening, when the mermaid came on stage at the end for her bow, she ended up standing directly in front of Baby, and she WAVED at Baby. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment, and despite our history with thespians, I was so thankful for their sensitivity and thoughtfulness then.
But despite all of these nuances, the story was pure to the book and perfectly acted.
When we left, Baby asked me if we could go again. I don't know when we'll return to Neverland, but we'll certainly find other worlds and stories to watch and savor.
I love our family book club. It has opened our eyes to so many more references in the world, and studying the books we choose has really enhanced our lives. We have sweet discussions about so many ideas and thoughts that I know would never come up in normal conversation. When I chose to read Peter Pan last year, I had no idea that it would end up meaning so much to several of us. Because I was the moderator of the book, I also sent Baby her own materials to study it as well. I gave her the Disney movie as well as a Little Golden Book of the story. Thank goodness that Ethan and Rebecca did what they needed to to introduce her to the story, and it didn't take long for the characters of Peter Pan to infiltrate her playtime. She loved the pirates and the crocodile the most, but Tiger Lily, Tinkerbell, Peter Pan and Wendy were all there too. I loved to "tick tock" with her. So I was excited to take her to see the actual play.
I can think of many movies where children are shown in the audience with a look of wonder on their faces. Their eyes are focused on the stage, their little mouths are usually hanging open a bit, and they are completely captivated. I wondered if Baby would even be able to sit still for the 2+ hour playing time, and I hoped for the same look on her face. The recommended age was five and older, and with her being four and not having the greatest attention span, I was a bit worried. However, not having the money to buy any of the $100 seats, I chose the only $35 seats that were left....on the front row. If anything was going to hold Baby's attention, it was sitting in the front row, and if anyone was going to see her misbehave, it would be everyone sitting behind us.
We drove as quickly as we could from Longwood, changed back into our church clothes in the car, and got dropped off right in front of the theatre. No thanks to the very ineffective ushers, we finally found our seats. Baby was given a children's program, and no sooner had she sat down, then she opened it. There were pictures of the actors along with a description of them, and just once and one time only, I pointed out who was playing what. No joke, she could repeat back to us who everyone was. How thankful I was that she already knew the characters of the story! She was mesmerized by those two pages.When the play began, I knew instantly it was going to be something wonderful. I could believe that the actors were their characters, and there they were, right in front of us. Baby's eyes were fixed on everyone, and to her credit, she understood what was happening on stage. She laughed at the right times, was nervous during others (the pirates especially) and when Peter Pan and Hook were having an existential discussion about what dreams children would have depending on which one of them ruled Neverland, she turned to me and asked, "Lollie, are the pirates going to take away my dreams?" During the intermission, she even mourned the fact that the Lost Boys' hideout had been burned by the pirates. All of the sensitivity that we sometimes fault Baby for having made for a perfect evening for her....and for us.
I've been around a lot of children lately, and something I've noticed is that a screen is an essential element of childrearing. However, I occasionally run across children who don't need one--children who are able to hold a conversation, or sit quietly by themselves, or who can self-entertain. I'm so thankful that Baby's life doesn't revolve around a screen, and that she doesn't need quick-draw action to be entertained. She has this beautiful mind that can process conversations and actions and stories, and much of that credit goes to Ethan and Rebecca who have taken the time to teach her how to be her own little person.
So some details of the play (which I know I will forget):
 |
| Wendy's room. Yes, Nana was a real dog, and such a hit with the kids in the audience. |
 |
| Tinkerbell. What a woman, owning that costume with a not perfect body. |
 |
| Tiger Lily. In our production, her lipstick matched the blue in her costume. She was a strong, powerful woman who was rising from the ashes after losing everything. And yes, she taught Tinkerbell about "girl power"! |
Yes, there was flying. Baby never mentioned the wires, so I don't know if she knew what was happening.
Wendy was a modern girl, not allowing the lost boys to call her "mother" because she wanted to be an astronomer (and study the stars), but in the end, she said that she would be happy to be an astronomer AND a mother AND an explorer.
Tinkerbell and the pirates were the comedic elements of the show, and they were brilliant. The pirates were just evil enough to be scary for Baby, but funny enough to get laughs out of the adults. And Tinkerbell was a sass, much like the book. She kept us in stitches even though she was probably 40 years old in gold lamé.
The crocodile was in the form of a Chinese dragon. His huge head would appear off stage right. We then imagined his huge body wrapping around the back of the stage, and the end of his tail appeared off stage left. He and Tiger Lily were the best of friends, and when she would pet his head, his tail would wiggle like a dog's.
Hook was existential, always thinking of power and how it could influence people. Very appropriate in our current political climate.
At the beginning of the second act, the curtains parted and there was a transparent screen with what looked like water behind it. The mermaid came swimming on stage, and Baby about lost it. And to make the evening, when the mermaid came on stage at the end for her bow, she ended up standing directly in front of Baby, and she WAVED at Baby. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment, and despite our history with thespians, I was so thankful for their sensitivity and thoughtfulness then.
But despite all of these nuances, the story was pure to the book and perfectly acted.
When we left, Baby asked me if we could go again. I don't know when we'll return to Neverland, but we'll certainly find other worlds and stories to watch and savor.
 |
| Us with our best Tinkerbell poses ;-) |
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