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**__ The Fantasticks __**

 * Music by Harvey Schmidt, Book and Lyrics by Tom Jones **
 * Director: Farley Richmond **

The separation between a major and minor character is very fine and depends highly on personal opinion. For one, point of view can indicate the importance of a character. The majority of action and dialogue lies in the hands of the major character. The major character is the character that drives the plot of a story and most often, major characters are the characters that the audience members relate to the most. Minor characters often provide comedic relief and come and go throughout the course of the plot. In the play, I believe that El Gallo, Matt, and Luisa play the role of the main characters. El Gallo is a main character, in my opinion, because he acts a powerful character who controls much of what happens in the musical. I immediately tagged him as a major character because he began the musical with singing and ended as the last person who sang in the production. The fathers, Huckabee and Bellomy are very important to the musical, but I wouldn't necessarily consider them major characters because they are external to Luisa and Matt's relationship. Additionally, Mortimer and The Mute are minor characters as well. Even though the mute aids in many transitions and makes the audience feel more comfortable by relating with them, I believe that the play could progress without him. Also, the part played by Mortimer is central at some points in the play. However, as whole, these parts are not a part of the critical events that occur throughout the plot. Additionally, the difference between a character and an actor is one that is hard to discern. In my opinion, a character is somebody who embodies a set of characteristics while an actor is somebody who pretends to embody a set of characteristics.
 * 1. What is the difference between major and minor characters? Who are the major characters in **//** The Fantasticks **//** ? Who are the minor characters in **//** The Fantasticks **//** ? **

2. ** Who is your favorite character and why? Or who played their part the best and why? ** When asked to chose my favorite, I would say that I really liked the part played by Edward McCreary. I appreciated how he played the duality of both the narrator and Luisa’s love interest so well while being mysterious and charming at the same time. He definitely had an extra umph! in him that I appreciated since this work was a musical. His transitions between characters were very fluid and he made the transitions very seamless. He played the role of the enemy, especially to Matt when he came in between their relationship. At the same time though, he was very good at relating to the audience and putting on a serious face when he spoke to the audience. His musical talent was very apparent and his contribution to the play as both a narrator and character astounded me.

Without a doubt, I also admired Luisa as an actress because I could relate to her in more ways than one. I think Stephanie Becastow played her part very well, to be honest. When the musical ended and she bowed down to the audience, I could not believe that she was any other person than Luisa. She did an incredible job of incorporating the puppet and showcasing her talent and expressions.

3. ** With which character did you sympathize the most and why? ** I sympathized with Matt the most, not only because he was physically hurt, but also because I felt like he suffered a lot based off of the performance that I saw from the actor of his character. For example, the look on his face when he watches Luisa and El Gallo together was transparent of the suffering going on in his heart. It was easy to tell that Matt was very innocent and overwhelmed by the love he was feeling. I sympathize with people who are inexperienced with love and being in a relationship because I myself was once that person who could not think of anything besides love. It was easy to tell early on that Matt played the role of a young man whose actions and emotions majorly depended on his relationship with Luisa. His eagerness and energy towards her definitely proved that he was willing to do anything and give up everything for her. Nevertheless, I can also sympathize with Matt because whenever he faces an issue, he attempts to resolve it by just leaving everything behind. I do the same thing by just leaving the situation when things become rough.

4. ** Did you recognize anything that reminded you of yourself? What and how? ** I recognized that Luisa’s father’s demeanor was very much like my own. He was very eclectic, as shown in his costume with a crazy colored scarf paired with suspenders. I am eclectic not only in my choice of clothing, but also in my moods and behavior, which are easily swayed by small external influences. I could tell that he acted in a manner that didn’t fit how old he actually was. He was always jumping around and sometimes was over the top. This is very much like myself because I tend to be eclectic in my taste because I can never choose and like a little bit of everything. I am easily visibly excited, as Bellomy was by the simple act of watering flowers and spending time with my friends. Whenever I spend time with my friends, it is as I’m on “a high” because I am just so happy and enjoy myself when I am with them. Similarly, when Bellomy spends time with Hucklebee, he is unable to control himself and act like a grown man. He acts as if though he was a young child. The way he sits with his arms crossed with a pout on his face after his fight with his best friend reminded me of a young child.

5. ** How do the boy and girl change by the end of the play? ** Matt and Luisa both underwent an internal and external overall change over the course of the play. Luisa became less shallow in her personal idea of being in love with prince charming. Originally, she imagined a Cinderella type of love story where all that mattered was Matt and their love. During their fight, we find out how shallow her understanding of love is when she comments on Matt’s appearance. Similarly, Matt had an idealized view of love where he believed he had everything in control and could do anything he wanted when Luisa was by his side. He self-esteem was definitely elated due to his relationship with Luisa. At the end of the play, the couple realizes that it is the person they are with that matters and not a perfect type of love. They lose the childish puppets and do things other than stare into each other’s eyes. It is easy to tell that there is a sigh of relief at the end of the play when the lovers reunite and realize that what they have is real and that they got caught up in the whole notion of just being in love and forgot about what really matters. They have a newfound and wiser appreciation and understanding of each other. They are honest with each other and express that they’ve always cared for each other.

6. ** What does El Gallo mean when he says he will “remember the girl’s kiss”? How does he play his character? ** By “remember the girl’s kiss,” I believe that El Gallo means that he has gained victory with Luisa. I also think that this phrase implies that their will not be anymore kisses in the future because he has already won over Luisa. In this case, Luisa is the girl that is kissed upon the eyes because she is betrayed by what she sees from El Gallo through her innocent eyes. El Gallo plays his character in an interesting manner. He is sometimes at the center of attention while at the same time; he also speaks as the narrator to give an aside to the audience. He controls the characters in the play and is almost feared in a way due to his mysterious and manipulative nature. He is very stiff and over the top in his actions, showing his belief that he believes he is better and holds a higher status than everyone else. By starting with the line, “Now let me tell you a few things you may want to know before you begin the play,” El Gallo initially brings the audience to think that he is honest and presents himself as a character that he is not. I was initially led to believe that he was going to be an outside to the action that unfolded in the play when in reality, he was central to events that occurred.

7. ** How are the fathers different? What other teams of characters in film or television do they resemble? How do they play their roles? ** As any father of a daughter, Luisa’s father believes that he should spoil her daughter and give her anything she wants. On the other hand, Matt’s father believes that there is a limit to nurture and that sometimes things have to be cut back (such as care and nurture) in order to allow them to grow. Luisa’s father reminded me of Joey from the old television show __Full House__. In this show, Joey is very comedic, plays with puppets, makes weird noises, and acts very much younger than his age. However, when it comes to caring for his nieces, he is very knowledgeable and it is apparent that he has a big heart, as does Luisa’s father, which is shown when he drapes his daughter in a shawl. He is ready to put down everything and fight for his nieces to protect them and no matter what, it is evident that he will always be there for them. Both men are serious when they need to be, but at the same time, are more loose and less rigid than most father figures. Matt’s father reminds me of Howard from __Big Bang Theory__ due to their similar styles of dressing up and quirkiness. Howard keeps up with many nerdy pastimes, as does Matt’s father with gardening. Both men are not as “manly” so as to speak, because Howard lives with his mother while Matt’s father’s actions do not seem very “macho.” I believe that both actors play their roles very well. I am not sure how rigid Matt’s father was intended to be, but I did realize that the actor who played the role was very stiff in his movements. The actor who played Luisa’s father seemed very in his element. It was as if the actor was like the character in real life.

8. ** Discuss Henry and Mortimer as characters and how well they played their roles. What was their function beyond comic relief? Compare theatrical histories and how they end up as a pair. ** I really enjoyed Henry and Mortimer, not only because they provided comedy, but also because of their undeniable acting skills presented on stage. When they appeared on stage, I could always guess that there was going to be some new stunt and exciting acting on stage. They both perfected the classic scenes that most people think of when they think of plays and musicals. These “typical” scenes included the typical battle scene, death scene with a sword, and fight scene. It was impressive how both characters performed so well without the use of props and by solely using their hands to imitate actions and objects. Aside from comedic relief, they both provide allusions and foreshadow future events. They move the plot along and guide the audience with their seemingly pointless nonsense. I thought they were some of the most versatile actors on stage and actually handled their puppets the best. Given the difficulty of having to play the role of an actor who does not act as well, they both did a good job of acting badly.

I do not think that becoming a pair was an easy process for these two. Instead, I believe that their relationship evolved into one that allowed them to at least tolerate each other. They have a relationship that a hero and sidekick would share. To be more specific, they reminded me of Shrek and the Donkey from the movie where even though Shrek is the dominating character in the relationship; they both eventually end up in a relationship where they genuinely care for each other. Initially, Shrek hated everything about Donkey. Of course, Henry and Mortimer argue and fight, but they still appreciate the other’s company. They are both actors that have unfortunately been left behind as stragglers when they were not taken up by the hiring theater companies. This unfortunate event has brought them closer together and has paired the two who bond other their release from theater. It is obvious that the actors are acting about their lack of theatrical talent because even his “bad” acting is impressive.