In the classic stage version of Peter Pan, Sandy Duncan flew across the stage with apparent ease. But she was a whippet of a woman who could fly if a strong wind blew through the theatre. For the Island Theatre Workshop’s production of Peter Pan, the main character is played by Rykerr Maynard, a twenty-something young man tipping the scales at around 175 pounds. It takes two experienced men to haul him up off the stage for his launch into the air. During the launch, all the flyers reach speeds of about 20 miles per hour.

Rykerr Maynard as Peter leads his charges. — Anthony Esposito

Bryan MacKenty and Misha Mordvinov are the rope pullers, brawny fellows who lurk offstage in the wings, their biceps in constant demand. But so too are their minds as they supervise all of the flying done during the show.

Other flyers include Jaiden Edelman, age 12, playing Michael, Jared Livingston, age 16, playing John, and Katie Feeks as Wendy.

The show opened on Saturday night and runs through next Sunday, with a break on Wednesday. Performances are at 7:30 p.m., with 3 p.m. matinees on Sundays which include talk backs with the actors who come down from the sky and stage to sit with the audience after the show.

On Sunday, 500 people attended the performance, including over 200 children. And you thought all the kids had disappeared to the beach.

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