SBTrotsky

==Though Ramon is not seen often throughout //Variations on the Death of Trotsky//, his presence is infinite and his actions are made well-known. His givens are "young and handsome; sombrero, serape, huaraches and guitar." This costume immediately characterizes him as Hispanic and ties in well with the setting of the play. The character should use an accent to further this characterization and help the audience immerse into what is Coyoacan, Mexico.== ==Aside from the play's qualities, the historical aspect of Ives's play must be taken into account to fully understand and appreciate the character of Ramon. Born Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río Hernández, he eventually became a Russian spy and undertook multiple different identities with intentions of eventually doing the Soviet's dirty work. On August 20, 1940, just as the play states, he did just what he was asked. Ironically, at least in relation to Ives's play, Mercader actually used an ice pick to murder Trotsky. After being convicted and spending 20 years in prison, Mercader was released. He traveled between Cuba and the USSR for the rest of his 18 years. The USSR rewarded him with Hero of the Soviet Union honors, the highest possible achievement in Soviet society. He died as a hero in Russian history and was buried with and still holds that status in multiple museums.== ==The actor playing Mercader has to do a lot with a mere 13 lines to make any kind of impact in this short one-act. That is why Ramon's humor and accent must be perfected. Without this perfection, Ramon has little chance to be remembered by the audience aside from his historical implications. Ives's recognized this dilemma and focused on it with hopes that Ramon would not just be a secondary character. Through this process, Ramon has at least a little humor in every single one of his lines. Whether it be the one-liner "Si" or the technicalities of how exactly he killed Trotsky, Ramon always has something witty to say. The italicized words are key to the voice inflections Ramon must use to emphasize certain words that bring out the humor in what he says.== ==Ramon doesn't play a big part, but he doesn't need to to make an impact in this play. His persona and background information tell his story for him. He is present to add humor to the play and help the audience visualize the setting for Trotsky's murder. The interactions between Ramon and the Trotsky couple are vital to understanding his intentions and help the audience to add a little historical knowledge to themselves in the process.==