Adaptations


Peter Pan is an iconic character who has been represented by a variety of artists and emerged in many different literary forms over the past century. J. M. Barrie himself even adapted his original play into an expanded story of Peter Pan, the novel Peter and Wendy. Since then, we have seen him portrayed in cartoons, featured in films, represented as a puppet, and played on stage by men and women of all ages. Artists have set his story to music and discussed his origins, such as in Finding Neverland. He has even appeared as an adult in Hook and a young orphan in Peter and the Starcatchers, the prequel to J.M. Barrie‟s original novel. Through these various adaptations, it is interesting to see the influence Peter Pan has had on artists, and the many different stories that are derived from the classic tale.


ACTIVITY – Compare and contrast two different adaptations of the Peter Pan story (many prominent examples are noted on the Timeline.)


 What do you think makes Peter such a compelling character for so many artists?Why are we attracted to the Boy Who Never Grows Up? How is he represented in each adaptation? What common themes do you see?


 From the stage to screen to novel to cartoon – what are the strengths and disadvantages of each story-telling medium?


 What choices do you think an adaptor needs to make when constructing a story in each various medium?Where are these choices apparent in each adaptation?


What is a Prequel?


Peter and the Starcatcher is a “prequel,” or an origin story, in which the authors imagine how an orphan without a name became Peter Pan.


ACTIVITY – Ask your students to brainstorm a list of their favorite childhood stories.Working individually or in groups, ask students to come up with a “prequel” to a story of their choice. Then ask students to select the most dramatic moment of their prequel story to write as a scene from a play. It should include two characters (minimum) and be about 3 - 5 pages in length.


Reflection: How did you select the most dramatic moment of your piece? How do you think playwrights craft a dramatic text adapted from a longer novel? What choices do they make about what to show on stage?


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