Let’s see. I have mentioned this production here. And here. And now here.
This photo. Lord. Years of romantic entanglements, disentanglements, and obsessions all collide in this one photo, this one moment from “The Fantasticks,” sophomore year in college.
The scene in a nutshell: Henry and Mortimer are attempting to abduct Luisa; Matt is fighting for his love with a xylophone mallet while The Mute looks on, ah, mute.
Okay. That’s me in the middle, with the codfish mouth, giving the fellers a hernia. On the left of the photo is S. And during this show, he is just S. But a few magical years down the line, we will fall weirdly in love; he will take this photo of me; we will break up, get back together, break up FOR GOOD, dammit!; then he will stalk me all the way back to San Diego — which, naturally, will make me swoon and keep me swooning to the point where he becomes Fiance #2. One must never underestimate the allure of the stalker. Later, there will be a much-needed epiphany where I realize that our insanities are not compatible and I will send him packing back to Seattle.
In the middle, wielding the xylophone mallet of death, is Billy Tom Bobby. That is his name and you must just accept it. He was Matt to my Luisa and I fell so so so deeply in love with him. In fact, I’m sure I am in love with him even in this exact moment captured on film. I bet I’m thinking, “Ohhhhhh! How I wish stupid S and stupid M would just UNHAND me and that the audience would go away and quit bothering me and expecting me to do stuff so that I could make out RIGHT NOW behind the curtains with my future husband, Billy Tom Bobby!”
I mean, I was desperately, insanely, in love with him. And he liked me quite a bit, too. He would call me “titwillow” in funny voice and, you know, I didn’t even think it was a boob joke. I just thought it was a funny word from a funny guy who should make out with me RIGHT NOW! He was very talented — and talent always got me. So, all it takes is talent and “titwillow” and I’m pretty much gone, it seems. But when he decided he didn’t like me so much anymore, I pined for him for much much longer than he was worth.
And finally ….. on the right. The fellow on the right. That’s M. We were mutually obsessed. He was obsessed with me and I was obsessed with, well, anyone and everyone else. He followed me around and leered at me and once …. he even wrote a very memorable song for me. And I really think the song says it all.
Wait. While we’re at it. On the far right is C. She was desperate to play Luisa. Instead, she is The Mute and she is silently plotting my death.
I think I want to see a production about the production, with all of that going on.
What a full picture!
“One must never underestimate the allure of the stalker. ”
That is so funny…and sad…and TRUE all at the same time. I had a stalker years ago, and even now I get the occasional e-mail from him. I never can help but to respond. It’s weird.
Anyway…it sounds like you had TWO stalkers. M was certainly stalkerish. At least me stalker never worte me a song…a creepy song…that I know of.
So whatever became of these people??
NF — Hahahahaha, “a production about the production.” You know, that’s so true. Any show I’ve ever done has been at least as interesting backstage as onstage, if not more so.
MM — Well, I know some about S. But I think I’ll save some of that for posts in the future. 😉 BTB — I have no idea about him. And M, I have lost track of as well. Ah, well.