Why is the role of Peter Pan always played by a girl in a shool play?

Question:The author J.M. Barrie chose Dion Boucicault to direct, and he chose his sister, Nina, to be Peter Pan, for several reasons:

1. "Although having a boy character played by a young woman may have seemed odd, it was actually a wise decision. English law at the time did not permit minors (children under fourteen) to appear on stage after nine p.m"

2. It was a Christmas Pantomime Season piece, with some of the gender-swapping traditions (pantomime-dames are played by men, and pantomime princes/heroes are played by women). Dion was very familiar with this tradition.

"The first actress to play Peter was Nina Boucicault in 1904; Pauline Chase played Peter from the 1906–07 season to the 1914–15 season. Barrie did not forget these early actresses; in fact, Pauline Chase was his favorite actress, and he used Chase and Boucicault as examples for the new actresses. Barrie told new actresses “that Peter should be a lovable tomboy, as . . . Pauline Chase portrayed him . . . or . . . he must be the whimsical, fairy creature that Nina Boucicault made him”.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The author J.M. Barrie chose Dion Boucicault to direct, and he chose his sister, Nina, to be Peter Pan, for several reasons:

1. "Although having a boy character played by a young woman may have seemed odd, it was actually a wise decision. English law at the time did not permit minors (children under fourteen) to appear on stage after nine p.m"

2. It was a Christmas Pantomime Season piece, with some of the gender-swapping traditions (pantomime-dames are played by men, and pantomime princes/heroes are played by women). Dion was very familiar with this tradition.

"The first actress to play Peter was Nina Boucicault in 1904; Pauline Chase played Peter from the 1906–07 season to the 1914–15 season. Barrie did not forget these early actresses; in fact, Pauline Chase was his favorite actress, and he used Chase and Boucicault as examples for the new actresses. Barrie told new actresses “that Peter should be a lovable tomboy, as . . . Pauline Chase portrayed him . . . or . . . he must be the whimsical, fairy creature that Nina Boucicault made him”.

Probably because the theme of the story is that Peter Pan never grew up. The role is usually assigned to someone who will not look as if they play on the varsity football squad, and whose voice, if it were male, would not yet have changed.

It depends on what kind of school. If it's an elementary school, then it really wouldn't matter because most of the students would be small and spry. In a high school however, they would generally cast a short, flat-chested, androgynous girl as Peter.

girls are smaller and have teenier voices, and peter pan never grew up