Sidekicks. They don't often get the attention that heroes do, but in many ways, they're better than the hero. With the protagonist, you can have certain expectations. You can be sure you'll be with hero through their whole quest. You can be sure that the hero will get to their destination - back to Kansas, back to 1985, to Mount Doom - and once there, they'll succeed or fail, no maybe about it. And in fairy tales, you can be sure of a lot more. But with sidekicks, there is more uncertainty. There are less archetypical story elements for them, thus, there can be many more surprises. They can tread off the hero-path and do the unexpected, and whether that's for the betterment of the quest or to its detriment depends so much on the kind of person they are. Robin (of Batman and... fame), Sancho, Hermione, even Toto - These characters are as important as the heroes they are attached too, and in fact, the hero would be lost without them. Truly great sidekicks are loyal and follow their charge to the ends of the Earth! Lily is just such a person.
Lily is the handmaiden to the Princess Scarlet. She takes care of every detail in the Princess's life, and is constantly keeping things from spiraling out of control (when she has any say in the matter, which she mostly does not, which means she spends a lot of time practically tearing her hair out, which can lead to patchy bald spots, which is a strange look on anyone, especially a lady). Lily is like that yippy puppy running circles around the big dog. She mothers Scarlet. When the Princess is showing reluctance to start preparing for her forthcoming wedding day, Lily is there to push Scarlet into the rehearsal-rehearsal dinner, force the dress over her head, and shove cake options in her mouth.
Lily is my favorite kind of character in theater. She can break the fourth wall, that invisible wall that separates the audience from the play. I love characters who can look right at the folks sitting there watching and say, "Hey, isn't this nuts?"; or shout, "You hearing things all right back there?"; or right at the front row and say, "Watch your feet, I gotta cross there in a sec." Being able to connect directly to the people is so, so fun, because not many get to do it, and in most shows, no one breaks that wall. It's a rare ability and makes for a special connection.
I was in a show in college where I was allowed to talk to the audience, and every night, I'd see what I could get away with. One night, in a scene that was scripted with my character blatantly interrupting the action to talk to the audience, I started convincing the whole crowd to stand up and slide to the left and right so that a path of empty seats was being created down the center of the seats. Everyone started getting up and moving, not sure where I was going with it all, but seeing as that I had been trusting them so much to talk to them throughout the show so far, they played along. The characters I was interrupting on the stage crossed their arms and encircled me annoyed (all part of the show, of course. I'm not saying I just went off book like some crazy person). I waved them off and laughed, "No, no wait, hold on. They're actually do it! Look at them! They think I'm doing something important! HAHAHAH!" And those characters chased me off the stage while the audience laughed at being fooled and returned to their seats.
Ferris Beuller, "As You Like It's" Rosalind, Our Town's Narrator, Zack Morris. Breaking that wall really is a superpower very few characters have, but so much fun. That ability can have the audience rooting for that character even if they aren't the protagonist. Iago in Othello is the villain, but he trusts the audience enough to talk right to them, and that is why he is so much more memorable of a character than the title one, if in the right hands.
In the right hands. Very important.
Many of the characters in
the Princess Knight can be played by any type - young old, tall, or short, tone deaf or armless. Lily is just such a character. She has the most to do in the show, the most dialogue, and the most opportunity to improvise, but she doesn't need to look a certain way; she just needs to be played by someone with an abundance of spirit - someone who is ready to add more frosting to the cake. I'll be honest, this is the role I'm going to have the most trouble casting, because we need someone who can be that great sidekick to Scarlet, who can keep the audience rolling along with the plot, and who can find those genuinely spontaneous moments to bring the audience in on the joke without upstaging the tale. It's a juggling act that will be a fantastic challenge to the lucky one brave enough to take it on.
LILY
(O.S.)
Princess Scarlet! Where are you? I am beginning to worry... about my safety. Not yours. You’re the one running into scary woods. I’m the fool chasing you. And I don’t care if you get eaten just as long as I remain in tact!
CHESTER
Quickly! Hide! I have an idea!
(The two LOVERS duck behind the trees as LILY enters from the audience shouting for HER charge. LILY turns to the crowd.)
LILY
Scarlet! Always running off. Always with the running. I swear, she does this just to get me going. You know what I mean? Oh, and I actually do care what happens to her. I don’t want any of you to think I don’t. What kind of handmaiden would I be if I wanted my Princess injured or worse? Not a very good one, let me tell you that.
(Looking under the rows and in the aisles.) It is those stories she reads. That’s what it is. Gets ideas in her head. This one time she ran off in search for - oh what was it? It was something crazy. Oh! I know! Seven midgets! Can you believe that? Seven dwarves?
(Asking an audience member about another.) What would you do if she ran off with seven dwarves? Well, It took me almost four hours to find her, and when I did, all she had managed to find was a short guy named Carl and a miniature pony. Strange pair Carl and that pony.
(LILY gets to the stage at HER wits end.) The wedding is practically here. She’s tricking me with pies - which I got by the way - And on top of everything...I gotta pee.
CHESTER
(From the tree CHESTER growls like some beast.)
GRRRRRRRRR!
SCARLET
GRRRRRRRRR!
LILY
(LILY freezes and goes wide-eyed.)
A-ha-ha-ha... Well, that’s alarming... Even more so since I have to tinkle...
CHESTER
GRRRRRRRRR!
LILY
I am a bit frightened right now... Yup... scared... scared... scared... I mean, this is about the time we should be introducing the villains to you guys, right? Can’t have a good story without the bad guy. And that must be it, thus: scared. Me...
(And then an idea strikes HER.) So scared in fact...
(A grin forms.) That a song might just do the trick! Maestro!
(The music begins, and just as LILY takes a breath sing...)
SCARLET and CHESTER
(Leaping out of hiding like two monstrous beasts.)
ROOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!!!
LILY
(Runs for HER life back out through the audience like a bear is chasing HER.)
AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
