“[J.M. Barrie, on opening night] instructed the members of the orchestra to put down their instruments and clap when Peter appealed for help to save Tinker Bell's life and cried out, 'If you believe in fairies, clap your hands.' However, there had been no need for these instructions, for the audience clapped thunderously, causing Nina Boucicault, the actress playing Peter, to burst into tears."

This is an excerpt from Jack Zipes’ introduction essay in the 2004 edition of Peter Pan: Peter and Wendy and Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens Paperback by J. M. Barrie. Penguin Classics. ISBN 9780142437933

Note: I don’t actually have access to a copy of this book, so I don’t know if Jack Zipes cites a source for this information. I found this excerpt quoted in the article “On this day: Peter Pan” by Gerelyn Hollingsworth for the National Catholic Reporter.

I also found this interview with Nina Boucicault:

But the first night brought us our reward. The gasp of surprise that greeted me as I flew in through the window and the enthusiasm at the end of the first act were well worth all the hard work. The audience were splendid; I don’t think they missed a single point. I remember that I had been rather anxious about the scene where Peter appeals to the audience to clap if they believe in fairies. “Suppose they don’t clap?” I had asked. “What do I do then?” But clap! I think everyone in the house believed in fairies. And I am sure the play took them by surprise.

“Yeah, but how did the car get into the lake?”

The cast of Who’s the Boss - Then and Now

I want everyone to know what Hillary Clinton did tonight. It isn’t just that she ‘won’ the debate; Democratic presidential candidates have been winning these debates on substance since 1980 and often, it doesn’t help them in the election. She went in there tonight with two objectives: 1) make people warm up to her personally and 2) make Donald Trump self-destruct. Donald Trump’s objective was to make people believe that he is a grown-up, or at least that he can pretend to be a grown-up for ninety minutes. 

I knew how it was going to go down as soon as she said, “Donald, it’s good to be with you.” I knew for two reasons. First: because she really meant it. She was genuinely pleased to be on a stage with him. And it’s not because she likes him. It’s because she knew she was going to fuck him up and she knew exactly how she was going to do it and she was really looking forward to it.  

Second: she called him Donald. She called him Donald all night long. Consistently and deliberately and for three good reasons. One: it reminds everyone that he has never held a position that gives him any right to a title other than “Mr.” Two: it seems friendly, but it also really pisses him off. And three: By calling him Donald, she avoided repeating his brand name.

This is the level on which Clinton and her team are working. Donald Trump has staked everything on his last name–the name he inherited from his father. It’s Trump this, Trump that, Trump the other. When he puts his name on a thing, it doesn’t say Donald anywhere, it just says TRUMP. TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP. Trump is a good brand name. It’s a noun, it’s a verb, it’s triumphant-sounding. “Donald” has none of those qualities. If she’d been calling him “Mr. Trump,” every time she said it, she would be advertising the Trump brand, which is of course the exact opposite of what she’s there to do. So she called him Donald. And he could not take it.

Without losing her temper, raising her voice, or descending to his level, she made that bastard reveal himself to the Jedi. She brought up things that are going to seem completely unsympathetic to voters, but of which Trump himself is really proud: like not paying any federal taxes (”That makes me smart,” Trump said), stiffing his contractors (”Maybe they didn’t do good work,” Trump said; “I took advantage of the laws,” Trump said), his repeated bankruptcies, the $14 million loan from his father (”A very small loan,” Trump called it). She noted that he exploited the housing crisis for personal gain (”That’s called business,” Trump said). She called him out for his racism; he responded by proving that she’s right (Trump, apparently, is aggrieved that he did not get a medal for opening a club that did not discriminate against Black people even though it was in a really nice part of Florida). When he made what to me was a cryptic jab about her “staying home” while he was traveling, she just smiled and said, “I think Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate. And yes, I did. You know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be President. And I think that’s a good thing.”

He tried to talk over her. She ignored him. That was beautiful. One, because it’s exactly the way Trump should be treated, all the time; and two, because it made him even madder. His inability to get a rise out of her made him lose his mind. This is a man who wants to be President of the United States. And he spent an entire 2-minute segment begging people to call Sean Hannity so he could vouch for the fact that Trump was always against the Iraq war. Nobody would talk to Sean Hannity, he complained. Why would no one talk to Sean Hannity?

She was capable of actually remembering the original question and getting around to answering it after dealing with the human distraction standing next to her. He often seemed to completely forget the question seconds into his answer. At times, he was so busy talking over the moderator that he didn’t even hear the question. 

Hillary Clinton has been dealing with entitled, narcissistic, patronizing, asshole men her entire life as a Senator and as Secretary of State. She has skills in this area. She used them all tonight; and she enjoyed doing it. She looked like she was at ease, confident, and having a great time. She looked young. That was the way I put it to Mrs. Plaidder, and she agreed. She looked fresh, and energized, and exhilarated by the challenge. And that only made Trump’s “stamina” bullshit seem even dumber.

She stayed focused, despite his distractions. She dropped every bomb she came to drop at exactly the right moment. She used everything he bragged about against him. She made him too mad to put together a coherent sentence. And she smiled.

We knew she could to the job. We now know she can win this election.

During, I believe, the 2012 presidential election, people used to pass around a photo of Obama pointing forcefully at the camera with the caption, “Everybody chill the fuck out. I got this.” 

Alabama 10/24/2016

Alaska 10/9/2016

Arizona 10/10/2016

Arkansas 10/10/2016

California 10/24/2016

Colorado 10/17/2016

Connecticut 11/1/2016

Delaware 10/15/2016

District of Columbia 10/11/2016

Florida 10/11/2016

Georgia 10/11/2016

Hawaii 10/10/2016

Idaho 10/14/2016

Illinois 10/11/2016

Indiana 10/11/2016

Iowa 10/29/2016

Kansas 10/14/2016

Kentucky 10/11/2016

Louisiana 10/11/2016

Maine 10/18/2016

Maryland 10/18/2016

Massachusetts 10/19/2016

Michigan 10/11/2016

Minnesota 10/18/2016

Mississippi 10/8/2016

Missouri 10/12/2016

Montana 10/11/2016

Nebraska 10/21/2016 

Nevada 10/8/2016

New Hampshire 10/29/2016

New Jersey 10/18/2016

New Mexico 10/11/2016

New York 10/14/2016

North Carolina 10/14/2016

North Dakota - No voter registration

Ohio 10/11/2016

Oklahoma 10/14/2016

Oregon 10/18/2016

Pennsylvania 10/11/2016

Rhode Island 10/9/2016

South Carolina 10/8/2016

South Dakota 10/24/2016

Tennessee 10/11/2016

Texas 10/11/2016

Utah 10/11/2016

Vermont 11/2/2016

Virginia 10/17/2016

Washington 10/10/2016

West Virginia 10/18/2016

Wisconsin 10/19/2016

Wyoming 10/24/2016