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| aworthyboyishe |
Motel......gay?I just came off of playing Motel in Fiddler this summer. Anyone who knows Fiddler knows that Motel is timid and shy, until he stands up to Tevye.However.. how far is too far? I recieved both compliments and complaints from the cast and directors, saying that either I was portraying him as too effeminate, or too masculine. By the times shows came around.. I was terribly confused! What do you think? Should Motel be portrayed as a effeminate man? Or a masculine one? |
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| Beagle On Stage |
I don't see any reason to make that particular choice. A male character can be gentle, timid, etc., without being effeminate. | ||||
| Salome |
he is very soft spoken and easily knocked off his rocker but he isnt effeminate. he's shy and reserved. | ||||
| Mark Walton |
At first, yes...until he stood up to Tevye and emerged the winner beyond his wildest dreams. After that, he became more self-confident, especially after buying his sewing machine (his holy grail) and becoming a father. By the end, Tevye has developed a deep affection and respect for Motel, and they have become very close. Motel probably saw Tevye as something of a father figure (nothing is ever said about his own father), while Tevye probably saw Motel as probably the closest thing to a son he would ever have. Tevye probably saw his own honest, hard-working nature - and poverty - in Motel. Leonard Frey as the movie Motel was IMO an unmitigated disaster. He had a nervous laugh that he never fully shook free of, long after the character should have shed it. More than once he came across as a silly twit, so much so that I often think John Cleese couldn't have done worse! |
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| aworthyboyishe |
rotflmao For sure. Thoughout production, they told me to watch the movie and copy. And I kept telling them... BUT HE SUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSS! |
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| MeMyselfandI |
I think he's just easily ran over, not bold. | ||||
| aworthyboyishe |
Well see that was our problem.. I'm gay too!
It seems like every production has a gay Motel. Its kinda creepy..lol |
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| MeMyselfandI |
Well, Motel isn't rough and tough, compared to maybe Perchick or Fyedka. Those two have had pretty hard lives, compared to Motel. He probably has some back story that we don't know about... which would make sense that a lot of gay guys can play him so well, since they usually aren't quite as... I'm going to stop myself before I offend anyone. | ||||
| Mark Walton |
There's no evidence that Austin Pendleton, the first Motel, was gay. | ||||
| Beagle On Stage |
I think it's because people who aren't fully developed yet as actors are often cast in the part. They try to play gentle and it comes across as feminine because they fall back on a caricature. I don't think Perchik has had a hard life. He has a college education in 1901 after all. But he THINKS he knows everything about the world. |
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| MeMyselfandI |
Yeah, but he's not wandering around the world with millions of dollars, a full stomach, etc. He is possibly a pretty lonely guy, too. | ||||
| aworthyboyishe |
true..
well I'm not sure. I wouldn't exactly call myself underdeveloped... but I know what you mean. I started out rehearsals pretty feminine.. but towards the end I managed to pull of just dorky. I also tried to make him grow through-out the show. Like.. let him grow up, man up. |
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| MeMyselfandI |
before final dress, our director extraordinare gave each of us an animal to model ourselves after. I know he gave Perchik an eagle (the actor had lots of fun with that one), Fyedka a stallion, and Chava a bird... I think he gave Motel a skittish horse. | ||||
| Mark Walton |
What animal might be a more apt analogy for the more mature, post-marriage Motel? Could be something the character, and an actor who is like him, would aspire to, |
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| MeMyselfandI |
Hmmm... I don't know. Let's see... Golde was a mule, I think... Motel... hmmm... what "animal analogy" do you see on him for the 2nd act? | ||||
| Charlotte_Lucyx |
Our motel was gay aswell! |
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| aworthyboyishe |
Hmm... post marital Motel..
Maybe just a less skittish horse? What would you put Tzeitel as? |
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| curlyhairedsoprano91 |
Our Motel was not gay, but he was, like ... a baby. About 5'2" and his voice hadn't changed yet. It was the most adorable thing ever. | ||||
| MeMyselfandI |
Well, maybe - I suppose he goes from a skittish colt to a slightly skittish stallion... though the word "stallion" makes me think "Strong" and "Unafraid"... ah well.
I don't remember what our director put Tzeitel as... I wish I could. Think, think, think... what type of animal could Tzeitel be? To Curlyhairedsoprano: Well, was yours high-school? That'd explain that. When you do community theater/semi-professional/professional, the odds are that more gay guys would audition... but our Fyedka was kind of like your Motel - he was 19, and voice was changed for the most part, but still. |
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| Beagle On Stage |
Tzietel is a giraffe because she has to be tall.
Edit: Your Motel was nineteen and his voice was only changed "for the most part"? That normally happens at age twelve... |
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| aworthyboyishe |
Oh dear.
See.. I'm almost 6'5. Our Tzeitel was about 5'10... and rather wide. Don't get me wrong... I love her to death. XD Oh, and the most ironic thing ever... our intercast relationships were amazing. Okay. Motel + Fyedka dated Chava + Fyedka were sleeping together Hodel + Fyedka were sleeping together Golde was Tevye's faghag Perchik...... slept with everyone. XD |
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| curlyhairedsoprano91 |
Wow. Your Fyedka was ... something of a slut, no? 
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| MeMyselfandI |
She has to be tall? REALLY??? I did not know that... why?
Our Fyedka. His voice was... is... nasally and light, I guess is the right word. It was changed, I guess, but it wasn't very deep and is pretty nasally. |
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| Beagle On Stage |
She is usually tall because she's the oldest, and the standard theatre convention to keep track of that is the stair-step visual. | ||||
| aworthyboyishe |
Our stairstep failed.
Lol Basically... Tzeitel= 5'10 Hodel = 6'3 Chava = 5'1 Shprintze=........no oe cares Bielke= .................ditto And yes. Fyedka was a slut... *grumbles* |
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| CAllmon |
Hate to post revive....I am Motel upcoming. Straight as it were. As for height...well lets say we have a blind casting for tzietel. Not only is she the only dark skinned member of Tevye's family, shes indian, she is also the shortest of the older daughters. Our stair goes in reverse till the wee ones. She is about 5'. Probably little less. Im some where around 6'. =D |
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| Pamina |
I played Tzeitel, and our Motel was gay. I think we had very good chemistry and worked well together though. My grandma came up to me after the show and was like "Oh, I think the man who played your husband likes you! He seems like he really has a crush on you!" and I was like "No..he doesn't..but I'm glad you thought it was believable!" haha 
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| Holly |
Haha, we don't have a staircase either. None of them are particularly tall, but I think Chava and Hodel are about the same height then Tzeitel is the shortest. |
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| StarDreamer |
I was just cast as Tzeitel (though I desperately wanted Chava.... grrr.... lol oh well) but my Motel hasn't been casted yet. I'm actually hoping one of my friends (who happens to be gay) gets to play him. He's a great guy and is really fun to be around and we do have good chemistry onstage, but yea... we shall see =P | ||||
| ladytrojan07 |
For me, I rather say that the Motel should be portrayed as a masculine one. To believe that the motel was secured.
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