msTheFantasticks


 * The Fantasticks ** ** Music by Harvey Schmidt, Book and Lyrics by Tom Jones **


 * Question #1:**
 * What is the difference between a major and a minor character? Who are the major characters in //The Fantasticks//? Who are the minor characters?**

In theatre, it takes different types of characters working together to create an amazing performance. Although some actors function as major characters while others serve as minor characters, each person plays an essential part in the piece being performed. Although it is sometimes difficult to discern which is a major or a minor character, there are quite a few differences between the two types of roles. Major characters are the central figures in the story. The protagonist(s) of any play is a major character because the plot hinges on his or her actions. Major characters enjoy large amounts of time under the spotlight, for they are almost always either physically on the stage or verbally being described or talked about. In the case of musicals, the major characters have the responsibility of singing most of the songs, either as solos or with an ensemble. Another important aspect about major characters is that they are dynamic, meaning that they undergo some sort of change. Minor characters, on the other hand, are more static, and they tend to undergo very little change, if any, throughout the entire play. Minor characters tend to be accessories to the major characters, but they are still just as important. They are typically good friends or enemies of the major character, and they relay extra information about the major character to the audience. Minor characters also do not spend as much time on stage as major characters, but oftentimes the minor characters function as comic relief, so their presence on stage is greatly welcomed by the audience. In //The Fantasticks//, Matt, Luisa, and El Gallo are the major characters. The story centers around Matt and Luisa’s romance; they spend the majority of time on stage, sing most of the songs, and they both undergo a change from the beginning of the play to the ending. El Gallo, even though he is Matt’s enemy, narrates the story, and he is always right in the middle of the action. The minor characters include The Mute, Hucklebee, Bellomy, Henry, and Mortimer. All of these characters compliment the major characters, do not seem to undergo any serious changes, and provide comic relief throughout the play.


 * Question #2:**
 * Who is your favorite character and why? Who is the person that played his or her part best and why?**

While I love each and every character, I must say that El Gallo is my favorite. I believe that I love him so much because of his enigmatic character that I could not quite figure out. First and foremost, he seems to be the omniscient narrator of the story, giving the audience bits of information throughout the play. He grabbed my attention with the first song he sang, “Try to Remember,” which I thought was a wonderful introduction to the play. Initially, I believed him to be this suave, mischievous type of Robin Hood who, for a fee, would perform all types of services. I enjoyed the combination of robustness and comedy in his personality, which became evident to me during the fight scene with Matt. I thought I had his character decoded until he took Luisa away on an adventure and convinced her to give him her mother’s necklace. This showed a darker side of El Gallo, which I did not expect he would possess, but I still loved it all the same. Although at this point he seems like a pure villain, his words, “I will remember that particular kiss” contain just as much mystery as his character and lead me to believe that he does have a soft heart underneath all of that black clothing. The actor that played El Gallo was fabulous, but I was drawn to the actor that portrayed Henry. He was absolutely superb, and I almost fell out of my seat because I was laughing so hard. He had a way of capturing my attention with that loud, boisterous, British voice of his. He was extremely animated and completely “over the top” in all of his actions. Even though he was a minor character, he commanded the spotlight when he was on stage. He was goofy, ostentatious, and a tad bit spastic, but I felt that was exactly what type of character Henry was—a man longing for attention and willing to do anything to get it. His overall performance was magnificent!


 * Question #3:**
 * With which character did you sympathize the most and why?**

The character with which I sympathized the most was Luisa. Luisa struck me as a girl who was trapped behind a wall, both physically and emotionally. She is at the age where she is coming into her own, maturing into a beautiful young lady who is curious about the world outside of her yard. She yearns for a dazzling life full of excitement and adventure. Perhaps the reason I have sympathy for her is because I, too, sometimes felt trapped in the small town where I grew up. I am very grateful to have grown up in such a close-knit community, but it felt as if I was caught up in a bubble. My parents never really understood my desire to travel to foreign countries, much like Luisa’s father never realized her fairy-tale dreams. It makes me exceedingly sad to see an individual who possesses both passion and potential, but does not have the resources to take her where she wants to go.


 * Question #4:**
 * Did you recognize anything that reminded you of yourself in any of the characters?**

Just as I sympathize with Luisa, I see much of myself in her character as well. Growing out of that dreaded awkward stage that everyone goes through at some point in his or her life, she develops a fancy for boys, and as all girls do, she dreams of marrying a handsome prince and living happily ever after. She begins to develop her own ideas and thoughts about her future, which are different from what her father wants for her. As any teenager does, she acts irrationally, but she is just a victim of her age, and from her mistakes, she gains important lessons and an increased understanding about the realities of life. I myself remember the time after my sixteenth birthday. Getting my driver’s license was a rite of passage for me; I was no longer a little girl, and I had to behave like a responsible adult. During the next couple of years, I did not completely reject my parents’ opinions, but I did begin to formulate my own ideas about certain issues. I discovered anti-frizz hair serum and mascara, and I gained an immense amount of confidence about myself. It was at this time in my life when I started to dream about my perfect future, and just like Luisa, I became more knowledgeable about this life and how I, as an individual, function in it.


 * Question #5:**
 * How do "the boy" (Matt) and "the girl" (Luisa) change by the time the play ends?**

Because both Matt and Luisa are dynamic characters, they undergo a change throughout the course of the play. As the musical opens, the two are described as “the boy” and “the girl,” which establishes a sort of childish air around the characters. They lack an identity, which is something that both will search for throughout the play. Significantly, the actors use hand puppets for the first few scenes; the puppets are an integral part of exposing the immaturity of both Matt and Luisa early in the play. Puppets tend to evoke thoughts of child’s play, and indeed, when both Matt and Luisa are characterized by puppets, rather than actual actors, they act as if they live in a fairy-tale world where everything is good and all dreams come true. Also, puppets are controlled by an outside force, a puppeteer, and they have no free will to do as they please. Similarly, Hucklebee and Bellomy pull all of the strings, and even though their children would most likely be considered adults by the standards of the time (1960s), they persist to control every move that they make. As the performance progresses, the puppets are no longer used to play the two characters, and the actual actors take over the roles. This transition from puppets to people symbolizes Matt and Luisa’s transition from immaturity to adulthood. They realize that marriage is a huge commitment between husband and wife, rather than just a fun game to play in their dream world, and it loses its appeal. As they both travel, their eyes are opened to the cruel realities of the world that most adults come to know. In the end of the play, Matt and Luisa are able to re-establish a healthy relationship with each other because they shed their juvenile ways and experience a character growth that allows them to act in a mature, adult-like manner.


 * Question #6:**
 * What does El Gallo mean when he says that he will remember the girl's kiss?**

As El Gallo is about to run away with Luisa’s prized necklace, he utters the mysterious line “I will remember that one (Luisa’s) particular kiss.” For a villain who has just stolen a young girl’s necklace and broken her heart, this phrase is extremely sentimental. He does not call Luisa by her name, nor does he even refer to her as “the woman;” he simply calls her “the girl.” El Gallo is a bandit, but I do not believe him to be evil. His character insinuates that he lives life on the road, making money by hatching schemes for people just like Hucklebee and Bellomy. I think that El Gallo does care about Luisa’s well being, and he knows that the best life for her is not on the road with him. He knows that she still loves Matt, and her place is with him. He takes the necklace because he wants to “remember the girl’s kiss;” he wants to remember Luisa. As the actor that played El Gallo walked off the stage, I could not help but noticed the way in which he cradled the necklace, not as an item to be sold for a quick profit, but as a gem to be treasured forever.


 * Question #7:**
 * How are the fathers different from one another? What other characters in film or on television do they resemble?**

Hucklebee and Bellomy are quite different from each other, but those differences make them the perfect pair! Physically, Hucklebee is tall and skinny, and he is quiet yet firm. Bellomy, on the other hand, is short and loud. Hucklebee was in the Navy, and he has an expertise in horticulture. His bowtie and vest show off his sharp, polished look and is also indicative of his stern personality. He treats his son as a drill sergeant would treat a sailor; he is a strict father and chastises Matt when he catches him reading or writing sonnets. His harsh use of clippers in his garden can be contrasted with Bellomy’s watering of his garden. Bellomy is a softer individual, which is a more suitable personality for raising a daughter. He is a button salesman, and he dresses in a bright purple sweater and a colorful scarf, which symbolizes his lively personality. This story somewhat reminds me of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, so naturally, I see Hucklebee as Lord Montague and Bellomy as Lord Capulet. Even though the feud between the two families is a fraud, both men still reign as the masters of their households. Initially, they appear to have control over their children’s decision of marriage, but they soon lose that control as Matt and Luisa become more mature.


 * Question #8:**
 * Discuss Henry and Mortimer as characters. How effectively did the actors perform those characters? What is their function besides comic relief? How do they reveal their histories on stage? Compare their theatrical histories and comment on the fact that they have ended up as a pair.**

When Henry and Mortimer popped out of the chest dressed as an old English player and an Indian, respectively, I was taken aback. First, I wondered how two men could fit inside that chest, and second, I questioned their costumes because an Englishman and an Indian are an odd combination. However, I was captivated by the men underneath the costumes; their dress simply added color. As the two began to speak, I learned very quickly who gave the orders to whom. Henry was the leader with a strong voice, and poor Mortimer just followed behind him. The two actors who played these characters were fabulous! The man who played Henry was my favorite actor because both his antics and his speech were exceedingly flamboyant! He would jump up on boxes, raise his hands, and dance all around the stage, and my attention followed him wherever he went. The man who played Mortimer also did a fine job. Mortimer’s character appears to be somewhat slow and dumb, and the actor’s speech along with his posture gave that type of impression. With two characters as hilarious as Henry and Mortimer, it is hard to imagine that they serve any other purpose besides comic relief. Both characters taking on a more minor role in the play, they also serve as El Gallo’s minions, which exalt El Gallo himself as a major character, giving him an immense amount of power. In fact, they remind me of a slightly more contemporary version of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Claudius’s minions in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Shakespeare becomes a favorite topic of Henry, and he makes numerous references to the Bard’s plays, giving this 1960s musical a taste of Elizabethan theatre. Henry is obviously a man who has had a taste of the spotlight and is hungry for more. He only performs classic plays because any other plays less than that would be unworthy of his "fine" acting abilities. In one particular scene, he makes an attempt to portray almost all of Shakespeare’s most famous characters in just a matter of seconds. He is extremely greedy and pompous, and he manipulates his partner Mortimer. Mortimer always stands in the back of the stage, and he rarely sees the spotlight. He only performs death scenes, so his time to shine only lasts a few seconds. Mortimer’s passivity makes him the perfect companion for the overbearing Henry.