Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Feminine Peter Pan, Felicia Jones

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

Cross-casting in performances has effected outrage and social dilemmas in audiences, despite the important cultural messages those characters display. Since its beginning as a play, women have been cast as the young boy Peter in Peter Pan. J.M. Barrie wrote Peter Pan through inspiration from the young deaths of his brother and childhood friend, who will always remain in their youth. In order to capture that youthful innocence, females have been cast as Peter. This choice in casting was also made to achieve androgyny and transcend gender by blurring gender lines.