Ira Glass

Whereas in other productions what they'll do is that someone will shine a light. Shine a light, or they'll just... A beam of focused light, and then that pinprick of light is supposed to be Tinkerbell.

Well, what happened? At some point the audience turned and realized, oh, wait, I realize what's going on here. This is a fiasco.

Well, what happened? At some point the audience turned and realized, oh, wait, I realize what's going on here. This is a fiasco.

Oh, they get hungry for more fiasco. Oh, yeah. If this play proceeded perfectly, they would be disappointed.

Oh, they get hungry for more fiasco. Oh, yeah. If this play proceeded perfectly, they would be disappointed.

Before you do this, I just want to explain. When we say breaking down the fourth wall, what we mean is the wall between the actors and the audience. You know, usually it's impermeable, but then there came a point in the late 60s, early 70s, where a lot of theaters— Basically, the actors would come out into the audience.

Before you do this, I just want to explain. When we say breaking down the fourth wall, what we mean is the wall between the actors and the audience. You know, usually it's impermeable, but then there came a point in the late 60s, early 70s, where a lot of theaters— Basically, the actors would come out into the audience.

What's interesting about this as a fiasco, I feel like the thing that makes me understand about fiascos is that the fiasco itself is an altered state. That is, all the normal rules are off. You have left the normal rules of how the audience is going to interact with the actors. Right.

What's interesting about this as a fiasco, I feel like the thing that makes me understand about fiascos is that the fiasco itself is an altered state. That is, all the normal rules are off. You have left the normal rules of how the audience is going to interact with the actors. Right.

See, but I wonder, like, when you think about what people go to theater for, like, what kind of release people want. I mean, people want an experience that will take them out of themselves. We all want an experience that will take us out of ourselves and into another place and another reality. And it sounds like this production...

See, but I wonder, like, when you think about what people go to theater for, like, what kind of release people want. I mean, people want an experience that will take them out of themselves. We all want an experience that will take us out of ourselves and into another place and another reality. And it sounds like this production...

Even though it was a fiasco, in fact, because it was a fiasco, was more successful at that than any conventional play could be.

Even though it was a fiasco, in fact, because it was a fiasco, was more successful at that than any conventional play could be.

Jack Head, he's a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and Harper's. Jack says, by the way, the people ask him about this Peter Pan story still, all these years after we first broadcast it. And the thing they ask him is, really? Is that story true? He says he just tells him to go onto YouTube and search for Peter Pan and fiasco.

Jack Head, he's a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and Harper's. Jack says, by the way, the people ask him about this Peter Pan story still, all these years after we first broadcast it. And the thing they ask him is, really? Is that story true? He says he just tells him to go onto YouTube and search for Peter Pan and fiasco.

And if you try that yourself, the Peter Pan fiascos that you're going to see, and there are more than one, happened after we first broadcast this story back in the 90s, suggesting that fiascos are not an exception when it comes to productions of this show, but maybe kind of a trend. ¶¶ Act two, squirrel cop. Well, human error is often at the heart of a fiasco.

And if you try that yourself, the Peter Pan fiascos that you're going to see, and there are more than one, happened after we first broadcast this story back in the 90s, suggesting that fiascos are not an exception when it comes to productions of this show, but maybe kind of a trend. ¶¶ Act two, squirrel cop. Well, human error is often at the heart of a fiasco.

But what happens when you combine human error with what we will call in this case, animal error? We have this story from a police officer in a suburban community on the East Coast.

But what happens when you combine human error with what we will call in this case, animal error? We have this story from a police officer in a suburban community on the East Coast.

Wow.