Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-19
GLIMPSE BEHIND THE
SCENES AT BURBANK
Children Who Take Part in 5arrie's
Fairy Play Enjoy Daily Adven-
lures In Never, Never
Land

Grownups who have seen "Peter Pan"
at the Burbank theater must remember
the play with a pleasure peculiarly
like that occasioned by their first adj
venture into fairyland, through the me-
dunn of childish imagination and bed
time story telling.
Children who see the play find
mystic region discovered for them that
is not whit less wonderful than their
imagination has always pictured 1t, but
one depicted to them with perfect
naturalness that brings 1t from the far
off and fanciful to the near and real.
They themselves might be John or
Wendy or Michael If only Peter Pan
would come to their nursery window,
and the applause from small hands is
not, consciously at least, for good act
ing, but merely generous acknowledge
Qent of splendid deeds.
The play is fascinating primarily be-
cause it might really have been writ
ten by Liza-or by any wee tot who
has gone supposing afar into the land
first discovered in dreams. Naturally
in such fairy story there should be a
Peter Pan-a little boy full of fun and
chivalry and the joy of perennial
youth. Naturally there should be the
and pirates, and the delightful mystery
of real fairies. But the fact that the
youngsters whom the doughty Peter in
PRODUCES to the Lost Boys are really
children Of the everyday world adds
the vital touch of realism that makes
the comedy ideal romance.
About the Children
Many persons who have seen the play
are doubtless curious to know what
sort of children Wendy and John and
Michael are; how they enter into the
spirit of the play and how they act
behind the scenes AS matter OF fact,
Wendy is not child at all, but tiny
though rather plump little woman who
has been a stage star in the east and
who is now twinkling and laughing
merrily in Manager Oliver Morosco's
popular Main street stock house.
The business of flying away with
Peter Pan to the Never, Never Land is
not all excitement and adventure for
the children who engage in 1T, yet
without doubt they believe In their
parts as much as do the children who
see the parts played. They say their
lines with as little affectation as they
talk to each other outside. They are
as eager to go on every evening as
though it were the initial performance,
and they are as excited and triumph
ant when they come off as II they had
been through a real adventure.
The scene on the Burbank stage be-
fore the curtain rises on the first act
of this whimsical play is a curious
one The other evening, after Wendy's
bed had been screwed down so that
she might withdraw without acct
dent when offended by Peter, there fol-
lowed a short wait, and the actors
gathered in little groups behind the
lowered curtain.
First came the Black Pirate, as SOL
emn as night and as dark, his hooked
nose and the metal hook that serves
for q hand much in evidence; following
him a strange figure, the dog, Mana,
walking on it's hind feet and carrying
it's head under it's foreleg.
Use Stage Names
Then Mrs. Darling, accompanied by
an Indian maiden, came in and began
talking to Great Big Little Panther,
who had slipped in noiselessly through
the other door. Next came skipping
John and Michael Darling, two tiny
girls rejoicing in their temporary eman-
cipation from skirts, and excitedly dis
cussing some incident of the afternoon
"a very pleasing pair. Michael is
really little girl whose name is Ollie
Walters and who enjoys the distinction
of being called by her own name-the
other children commonly addressing
each other by their stage names of
John, Curley, Tootles, Nibs, Slightly,
and the rest of them.
Wendy Mora Angela Darling entered
then and began to arrange her sewing
basket. If met on the street she doubt
less would appear as quite a young
lady, but with a short frock and curls
it was difficult to believe her anything
but a little girl.
Two of the children began to waltz
merrily around the stage, needless of
the expostulations of the stage man
ager; while a stage hand began his
usual duty of testing the wires by fly
ing through the window from four
separate points on the stage. When
he had finished he explained how it was
done.
How the Flying Is Done
"There is" said he, nothing to guide
the wires, yet it is simple enough.
The stage floor is marked with chalk
That cross is where Peter stands when
he makes his flight to the mantel.
Those other crosses are for the chill
dren, the points of their departure on
their aerial journey to the Never, Never
Land. We have had no accidents,
though there is one flight, in the last
act, which is extremely difficult. This
is where Wendy flies home after her
visit to Peter Pans house in the tree
and the man who works the flying ma
chine cannot see her after she is
whisked away into the wings. I always
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