By Bonnie Lambert

The theatre department’s annual musical this year is a classic:The Fantasticks, by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt.

The musical, narrated by El Gallo (Brandon Baker), follows two teens, Louisa (Avery Rogers) and Matt (Kevin Bryant), who fall in love despite the wall that their feuding families have put up. Little do they know, there is no feud and the wall is part of a scheme that their fathers (played as a mother and a father by Ally Oliphint and Brock Boudoin) have concocted to marry their children to each other, a convoluted plot of reverse psychology.

Accompanied by a slew of other larger-than-life characters, including a Mute (William Swift), the show explores the young lovers’ first foray into the world and their struggles of love and heartbreak, of fantasy and reality as they discover that their lives are not as perfect as they imagined.

“It’s kind of based on Romeo and Juliet,” Boudoin said. “It definitely has dramatic, coming-of-age moments, but overall it’s a romantic comedy.”

The show is directed by Ev Lunning, Jr., a professor of theatre at St. Edward’s University in Austin, who also directed last year’s production of Rumors.

Bringing someone from outside the department in to guest direct can be beneficial.

“You get a taste of working with someone who may not do things the way you’re familiar with,” Oliphint said.

The cast began rehersing the first week back of the semester.

“The first day of rehearsal, when we sang through it, I was tearing up at some of the songs,” Boudoin said.

Indeed, some parts of the show, may strike a chord with the audience. “There’s one line in the opening song that I think encompasses the show,” Oliphint said. “‘Without hurt, the heart is hollow.’”

Students can pick up free tickets from the Box Office. The show runs Feb. 19-21 and 25-28 in the Jones Theatre.