This semester, I am taking a lot of amazing acting classes, but the one I love most right now is Children's Theatre. Besides being taught by one of my favorite teachers ever, we're learning about adapting stories for the stage, among other things. Right now we're working on Peter Pan.
First of all, we read the novel and it was my first time reading... wow. How have I never read it before? It's wonderful! If I ever have kids, it will be a story I return to again and again, because it's written so elegantly that both children and adults can enjoy. If you haven't read it, please do so.
Today in class, we presented scenes adapted from the first chapter and then we had a free write, during which we wrote one character's secret, from that character's point of view. I have become very intrigued by Mrs. Darling, so I wrote from her POV:
As I sat holding my newborn daughter, listening to my husband talk about the expense of having a child, I felt my arms tighten around her instinctively. Though it was certainly because of my love for her, there was another reason that I could never use to plead my case: if Wendy was taken away, how would I ever meet Peter Pan again? I could never tell Mr. Darling of the strange boy that had alighted on the window of my childhood, Mr. Darling being a man of sums and reason. I was thankful when he reached a conclusion without much pleading from me.
When Wendy began to mention seeing Peter, I was at first overjoyed. But when she asked me if I had ever known the boy, I was unable to tell her the truth. She was as enchanted by the lad as I was - am - and I could not bring myself to tell her what I had done. That had it not been for quick thinking on Peter's part, he would not have been able to visit anyone at all.
I shut my eyes against the memory of that day, many years ago, when, frightened, I had told Hook of Peter's whereabouts. I couldn't tell her this, so I bit my tongue and said instead, "Silly child. It was only a dream."
Last night I also began jotting down some ideas for another story.
Hooray for Peter Pan! :D
ReplyDeleteYeah, the actual story has a lot more going on in it than most people realize at first. It's darker and more bittersweet, too.
Very fun writing excercise... but did Mrs. Darling know Peter as a little girl? It says she knew OF him, but it doesn't seem like she went with him or anything. Very nice pretend, otherwise :)
And here's a book to put on your reading list - a Pan adventure that's based on Barrie's own idea for more! (Sorry, Mrs. Darling isn't in it... as it takes place after the first book ends.) Click here to see!
BELIEVE!