Jack Hitt

And what you have to understand is that everybody in this sort of community understood that there were And there was certainly a sort of air of everyone sort of reaching beyond their own grasp. Every actor was sort of in a role that was just a little too big for them. Every aspect of the set and the crew. And, you know, rumors had sort of cooked around. You know, there was this huge crew.

And what you have to understand is that everybody in this sort of community understood that there were And there was certainly a sort of air of everyone sort of reaching beyond their own grasp. Every actor was sort of in a role that was just a little too big for them. Every aspect of the set and the crew. And, you know, rumors had sort of cooked around. You know, there was this huge crew.

There were lots of things being planned.

There were lots of things being planned.

That's right. That's right. And maybe greatness could have occurred.

That's right. That's right. And maybe greatness could have occurred.

Opening night comes and, you know, well, almost everybody in the area and the, you know, 10 mile radius of this theater knows somebody in this production. So the place is pretty much packed. And I don't know if you remember the opening moment of Peter Pan, but it's the three little kids sleeping in their bed. And Peter Pan comes flying in the window.

Opening night comes and, you know, well, almost everybody in the area and the, you know, 10 mile radius of this theater knows somebody in this production. So the place is pretty much packed. And I don't know if you remember the opening moment of Peter Pan, but it's the three little kids sleeping in their bed. And Peter Pan comes flying in the window.

And in this particular production, there's a big bed with all the three kids in it. And off to the left, I remember, is a big, huge wardrobe. And there's a large window there and a little bureau. And Peter Pan comes in and has a little speech where he says... You know, anybody can fly. Why? With just a little magic dust, one can fly. And Peter Pan sort of sprinkles this magic dust in the air.

And in this particular production, there's a big bed with all the three kids in it. And off to the left, I remember, is a big, huge wardrobe. And there's a large window there and a little bureau. And Peter Pan comes in and has a little speech where he says... You know, anybody can fly. Why? With just a little magic dust, one can fly. And Peter Pan sort of sprinkles this magic dust in the air.

And sure enough, the kids sort of suddenly just lurch into the air. And it becomes clear right away that the people that they've hired to run these flying apparatuses really aren't quite clear on how they actually work.

And sure enough, the kids sort of suddenly just lurch into the air. And it becomes clear right away that the people that they've hired to run these flying apparatuses really aren't quite clear on how they actually work.

So instead of the kids sort of sailing, you know, gracefully to and fro, they sort of hang in the air like puppets, just sort of dangling there and sort of getting jerked up an inch or two or back and forth.

So instead of the kids sort of sailing, you know, gracefully to and fro, they sort of hang in the air like puppets, just sort of dangling there and sort of getting jerked up an inch or two or back and forth.

Yeah, just hanging there like a spider. And then several of them start to sort of circumscribe these circles in the air where it's clear that the people running the machines have just sort of set them off on these kind of oval courses that spiral farther and farther out. And if you're sitting in the audience, there was clearly a sense of fear on the faces of these people. Of the actors?

Yeah, just hanging there like a spider. And then several of them start to sort of circumscribe these circles in the air where it's clear that the people running the machines have just sort of set them off on these kind of oval courses that spiral farther and farther out. And if you're sitting in the audience, there was clearly a sense of fear on the faces of these people. Of the actors?

The actors. The actors actually, you could sense their lack of confidence, shall we say, in the people running the machines in the back.

The actors. The actors actually, you could sense their lack of confidence, shall we say, in the people running the machines in the back.

No one is laughing. Everyone, now this is one of the great things about audiences, especially in a live theater production, is that they're very forgiving. They want the show to work. And so everyone is sort of gripping their chair a little tightly. We feel for them. They're up there. They're embarrassing themselves for us.

No one is laughing. Everyone, now this is one of the great things about audiences, especially in a live theater production, is that they're very forgiving. They want the show to work. And so everyone is sort of gripping their chair a little tightly. We feel for them. They're up there. They're embarrassing themselves for us.