fantasticks

1. What is the difference between a major and a minor character? Who are the major characters in the Fantasticks?

A major character is dynamic, and in the course of a performance, generally faces some conflict that changes him or her, affecting the way that they interact with other characters and the world in which they live. This dynamism is often spurred by some character flaw that needs resolving and creates drama for that character. Relatively, the major characters have the most lines and are the central focus of plot development. They cannot be described in generalizations, such as, “jock-type” or “bad-guy”. In contrast, minor characters can often be generalized and regularly serve a purpose to forward the plot without containing much depth, conflict, or transformation. This is not to say that minor characters are unimportant; yet ,they will not have as many lines and often fill a role necessary in the play, such as, the comic relief or inquisitive friend. In //The Fantasticks//, Matt and Luisa stand out as major characters from the onset. Luisa, as it is hilariously explained, is a bit crazy: the product of youthful dreaming and a smidge of vanity. She is sheltered by her father and wishes to know more of love and the world—a source of her eventual conflict when she plans to run away. Likewise, Matt is sheltered and a romantic dreamer, often writing amorous verses while sitting in his backyard. Matt’s insecurity about his lack of worldly experience comes to fruition with the introduction of his foil, El Gallo, and leads to his transformative conflict when he runs away with Henry and Mortimer. Hucklebee and Bellomy are equally dynamic, major characters and mirror their children’s foolishness by attempting to manipulate them into falling in love. Their vanity lead to their downfall and ultimately to them reexamining their actions after Matt leaves and Luisa is depressed. This prompts a change in them, distinctive to major characters. The character El Gallo is somewhere in between being a major and a minor character. In one sense, he is a major character because he has as many lines as any character in the play and is integral to the plot. He is not, however, dynamic in the sense that he undergoes any real transformation or encounters any real conflict. To sum up El Gallo, one could say that he is a generic suave, sophisticated villain—out for his own selfish gain. The difference between El Gallo and the other major characters is their depth and inevitable change. Comic relief in the play is provided by the minor characters Henry and Mortimer, who have significantly fewer lines than the major characters and serve the purpose of lightening the mood in the midst of such turmoil. Finally, the mute might be the quintessential minor character, possessing no lines and charged with the purpose of moving the set around.

2. Who is your favorite character and why? Who is the person you consider to have played their part in //The Fantasticks// the best and why?

My favorite character in //The Fantasticks// is Henry, the washed-up old actor. Henry is endearing to me, not only because he was hilariously silly, but also because the humor is self-deprecating with respects to the play itself. I appreciate the wit of the playwright Tom Jones to insert a character that makes fun of the whole process of acting, whilst being part of a play. I will discuss Henry’s role more in question number 8. The person I considered to have performed their role the best was Stephanie Becastow in the role of Luisa. Her portrayal of a self-absorbed and emotional teenage girl—something which I cannot understand on any level—was believable and comical at the same time. She transitioned from a smitten lover to a disenchanted girl flawlessly. Overall, I found her expression of emotion to be impeccable, and was exemplified in her wilting sadness when El Gallo made away with her mothers necklace. Her character development truly reflected the type of roller coaster challenges that Luisa had to go through. In addition, Stephanie’s vocal performance was the most outstanding.

3. With which character did you sympathize the most and why?

The characters I felt the most sympathy for were the two fathers who, with the best intentions, tried and failed to make their children happy. Their plight, though self-inflicted, is no less heart-rending and I felt it most poignantly when Bellomy was asking Hucklebee if Matt had come back while they watered their gardens. This exchange exemplifies the scary truth that ultimately, the happiness of anyone’s loved one’s is out of their control. At this point in the play, these characters also realize their folly, prompting their reflection in the song, “Plant a Radish”, and musing that they wish children were more like radishes because vegetables are predictable.

4. Did you recognize anything that reminded you of yourself in the characers? How?

As a hapless and untraveled young man myself, I found it hard not to relate to the big dreaming Matt. Matt is somewhat archetypal for a young man that is growing up and is eager to experience the world. Up until he fell in love with Luisa, his world had probably revolved around fulfilling his father’s wishes and studying biology at college; however, his new devotion to Luisa changed his view on everything. Matt’s loss of innocence in his first love and heartbreak is something that most people, myself included, will go through in their lives. The thing that really stuck out to me was the use role of El Gallo as Matt’s foil who had everything Matt did not have. El Gallo was sophisticated, well-travelled, and talented at things like fighting. Likewise, I have often found it hard not to look around and compare my iniquities with the attractive qualities of others. The genius of //The Fantasticks// is that Matt’s discovers that what he had from the beginning is enough. Going “out into the world” didn’t do as much as he thought to make him any more attractive, and both he and Luisa realize that what they want is literally in their own backyard.

5. How do the boy Matt and the girl, Luisa, change by the time the play ends? Try to identify the specific moments of change.

Matt and Luisa begin the play dreamers, hoping for more exotic lives and a whirlwind romance. They are both ecstatic to find that the latter was waiting right over the wall constructed by their fathers and are instantly enthralled with each other. This is the impetus of their downfall. When they eventually find out from Hucklebee that their love is not part of some romantic destiny, they become disenchanted, prompting Luisa to be swooned by the suave El Gallo and Matt to angrily leave with Henry and Mortimer. The moment of change for both of them comes when Matt returns, haggard and beat up from his travels abroad. Luisa, who has been mopping about her house after being betrayed, finally realizes that she was foolish for becoming disenchanted with Matt because he lived next door. Matt, who now has some experience outside his backyard, is happy to be home and likewise realizes that he is a fool for leaving. This loss of innocence they both experience turns out to be good for them both as they realize they can be happy with the position they are in and the people around them. I have already mentioned that Stephanie Becastow in the role of Luisa was wonderful. Christopher Sapp in the role of Matt did not disappoint either and kept a complicated balance between pitiful and comedic. The only criticism that I had of his performance was that his movement and facial expressions did not seem as refined as some of the other actors; however, this was a very minor complaint.

6. What does El Gallo mean when he says that he will remember the girls kiss?

When El Gallo convinces Luisa to go with him, she is completely in his trust, an innocent figure. She believes that they are going to go off and have exotic adventures in a world that is shining and beautiful; however, El Gallo has different ideas. He never plans on taking her on any adventures and simply taking advantage of her innocence. Thus, when he tells her he will always remember that one particular kiss, he is alluding to the fact that he is going to ditch her right after she leaves to get her things. Edward Mccreary in the role of El Gallo was outstanding. His portrayal of a suave and sophisticated villain was flawless and whenever he had to transition to narrator, his entire demeanor changed appropriately. I found his movement on stage to be the best of any character and his casting was particularly apt. He looked the part. He also pulled off making a villain likable with his use of emotion and had a charmingly real onstage connection to the other characters.

7. How are the fathers different from one another? What other team of characters do they resemble on film or TV? Hucklebee and Bellomy differ in a few different ways. The first and most obvious is that Bellomy is slightly more effeminate than Hucklebee. This mirrors the gender of their children and makes sense within the framework of the play. Hucklebee is a bit more hardnosed with Matt, ordering him around and insisting that he stop sitting around all day, writing verses in the backyard. Bellomy is likewise critical of his daughter, just not to the same degree. Bellomy seems to be more reasonable and this is reflected when he wisely suggests that they should not tell their children the truth behind the wall and El Gallo. These two character’s remind me of the parents from a popular cartoon from a few years back called “The Fairly OddParent” in which the parents are straight laced individuals always trying to make their son behave normally. Caleb Huett in the role of Hucklebee I thought was adequate. I did not think he did a particularly great job of changing his voice to sound like someone’s straight-laced father, yet his movement on stage was fabulous and his singing performances were outstanding. Jim Barrow’s performance as Belllomy I found to be more authentic. He seemed to be genuinely nervous for his daughters well being and his demeanor was apt for the character throughout the play. His lines were well performed and he had a strong relationship with the other actors on stage.

8. Discuss Henry and Mortimer? What other functions do their characters have other than comic relief? Compare their theatrical histories and comment on the fact that they have ended up as a pair?

The clown characters Henry and Mortimer, who emerge from a box on the side of the stage, instantly make the audience crack-up with their over the top stupidity. As with most comedy, these characters are founded in some truth, a mockery of acting, character relationships, and even the theatre itself. Henry’s comical confidence in his own importance and ability as an actor mocks actors that take themselves too seriously. Henry’s character also mocks the bravado of Shakespearean theatre with his over the top language and enunciation. Mortimer’s character mocks the unskilled actor that gets stuck with the death roles over and over again. Mortimer, like Henry, has a false sense of importance. These characters relationship to each other is also a cleverly inserted satire on theater. Henry is domineering of Mortimer and Mortimer seems like being subservient to such a “great” actor. Mark Fowler as Henry and Daniel Wagener as Mortimer were absolutely hilarious. Henry’s bravado and pride was evident and the stupidly gazing Mortimer was played as stupidly as possible. Particularly funny was the part where Mortimer mimed shooting himself with an arrow.