Donovan Woods February 13th, 2010 Charlotte McFarland The Critical Paper The Humble Boy was great

production filled with comedy, death, and tenderness. I was happy to say that I experienced the true magic of theatre while watching the production. In the production of Humble Boy I chose to focus on the main character; Felix Humble. From what I could see, Felix was a very troubled young man dealing with the loss of his father. Physically he appeared as if he could not walk regularly instead, he dragged his left foot slightly. He was a bit overweight; hair untamed, and possessed a speech impediment. Felix might have been in his late 20s or early 30s and English. From Felixs body language he seemed unsure, inferior to the rest of the cast. He also trouble dealing with the sharp noise of bees. Psychologically Felix seemed to suffer with the thoughts of suicide as well. His mental health seemed very unstable by having frequent flashbacks. Felix was the son of Jim who had died in the play. Felix was very close to his father and I believe that Felix represented the legacy that Jim left behind. Felixs role in the play is significant for the fact that, Felix is connected to all the other characters in the play. Also, Felix is the only person who can see and hear Jim who is a ghost or spirit throughout most of the play. I believe Felix serves as an obstacle for the other characters as well. To Flora he is the reason why she feels as if she can never be truly happy because he follows in the footsteps of his father. She also feels as if Felix is the reason she cannot move on with her life because he is stuck in the past. To George he is the one reason George can never have his true lovers hand in marriage. To Rosie the reason why she left and cannot move on to another man because she is still in love with him. Finally, to Mercy he is seen as somewhat of a friend to her but, also the reason why she is Floras right hand spy. It is as if

Donovan Woods February 13th, 2010 Charlotte McFarland Felix is Mercy target throughout the play because she is constantly watching him, taking note if everything he is doing. I felt that the actors voice was strong and present. The actors words were clear and resonant even through the English accent. The actor also used highs and lows throughout his performance to heighten certain scenes and to focus your attention onto him. The actor was also very present on the stage with his movements. Each movement had a purpose, or a goal in mind. The actor did a good job moving as his character would on stage. The actors gestures were clear and always added to the character; they never took away or were a distraction. The actor was energetic with his speech however, not with his words. I believe that since the actors character was handicapped that it was necessary for him to move lethargically. I thought the actor did a great job of using other elements to indicate something about his character. For example, the actor walked while dragging his foot and stuttering showing the audience that his character was handicapped in some way. I believe the actor stayed focused and in character the whole time during the play. Although the language of speech was a little higher than my intellect the actors intentions were clear. For example, when Felix wanted to make fun of George he began to be sarcastic with him. I thought the actor was able to give a variety of emotional dynamics within the psychology of his character. During the scene with George the actor do a good job of reacting sarcastically to Georges rude comments however, within the psyche of his character (Felix) the actor used elevated humor. I thought the actor could have used more emotional variety during the combative scenes in the play. For example, when Felix tells his mother that she has said enough! I believe that Felixs brief monologue could have shown more emotional dynamics than just the obvious mad.

Donovan Woods February 13th, 2010 Charlotte McFarland I felt that the actor did a great job of making his blocking look true to his character. The actor instead let the blocking fuel the scene and adds to the tension. For example, during the scene around the table, the actor moved toward the table while telling his mother that she had said enough. This simple movement could have been used by the actor to just get from point A to point B. However, the actor uses the rage he feels in character to forward his aggression towards his mother by moving towards her. I thought the actors did a great job of building off each other especially in the scene around the table. The actors started small and as they built off each other they let the argument grow naturally. I thought the scenes between Felix and Flora were extremely organic because I feel the tension rising between them in my seat. I also could see both actors bodies become more involved as the arguments got bigger. I thought the actors did a great job of keeping the dialogue quick when it needed to be like in the big arguments. However, they also made sure that the important information was not lost when slowing the dialogue down. In conclusion I thought that the whole cast did a great job of staying true to their character while keeping their emotional output organic. The scenes that needed to have high drama and tension was emotionally full with high and lows as well as the scenes that were tender and sweet. I am definitely glad I saw the show because I now have a better understanding of what it takes to make a show emotionally full. I am happy to say that I will take what I have learned in this production into my own.