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Synopsis

The show begins with an enthusiastic introduction to the characters gathering for their performance. The Narrator, El Gallo presents the main characters, "a boy, a girl, two fathers, and a wall." This wall separates the homes of the boy, Matt, and the girl, Luisa, and it is soon clear that their fathers have been feuding for years.

As a result, the parents have not permitted their children to socialize. Resulting, of course, in bringing the boy and girl together by sparking a forbidden love between them.

The children exchange vows of love behind their fathers' backs, but in reality the fathers have been old friends for years, concocting their ''feud" to lure their children together in marriage. Knowing that they would not accept a prearranged marriage, they wish to end their fake feud without revealing their secret. They decide to stage an abduction and hire El Gallo to direct it. With the help of two actors, El Gallo abducts the girl, allows the boy to save her, and produces a proper end to a feud.

The unexpected result of this little scheme is that in the second act we find that the fire of passion has dimmed between the lovers without the heat of excitement. The boy, now less than thrilled with his legal lover, leaves to travel the globe in search of "himself." The fathers are frazzled by this predicament and end up truly feuding. The girl is now being wooed by El Gallo. She, however, gets hurt when El Gallo leaves her dejected after promising her a life of excitement. Eventually the boy returns home disillusioned and disappointed after finding the world to be over-rated. Finally, the two lovers realize that everything they have been looking for, they already have in one another. The fathers end the feud, and the families live "happily" ever after, and so forth.

Publication Date

Spring 1998

Language

English

City

Philadelphia

Keywords

The Masque

Disciplines

Theatre and Performance Studies

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

The Fantasticks

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