Pam’s Arc (with numbers to indicate positions on Harmon’s Circle)

1. We meet Pam in her comfort zone. She is happy and pleasantly excited (“Don’t
Go Breaking My Heart”) but on an immature level. She is secure with boyfriend
Nigel: she is confident she has him around her little finger, in thrall to her good
looks and sex appeal. Brilliant as Nigel is, Pam is better equipped to deal with the
everyday world.

2. Pam craves more adventure, and experience and romance, and to her, Verne
represents these things. She becomes excited and restless. He is a handsome
bad-boy, seems to have past full of adventure, and has as strong a sexual vibe as
her own. Pam’s acknowledged needs are fairly superficial ones, her unconscious
needs for true love and for a secure future, are deeper.

3. In the scene By the Roadside, and the scene At a Roadhouse near Albuquerque,
Pam enters fully into the new environment of a suddenly disordered social group
with increasing courage and assertion, as the travellers now mix and learn to
relate to one another. She basks in the admiration of Verne and even the Nerds.
Dolly is a possible mentor. Pam now has more energy, more assertiveness, and
less patience with obstacles. Is she becoming dizzy with her own power?

4 Pam tries several things. She is inspired by the story Dolly relates of her
struggles (“Shoulder Holster”). Pam tries to reassert control over Nigel, breaking
in on the intellectual reverie that she increasingly resents with the offer of sexual
satisfaction. Baffled and annoyed by Nigel’s unresponsive emotional state (“Dan
Dare, Pilot of the Future”) she turns more to Verne.

5. [Here I do not match Harmon]?

6. She suffers as Nigel rejects her (“Whipping Boy”) because she deceived him,
and suffers more when he leaves her, and the group. She reacts by losing herself
in the dance (“Crocodile Rock” medley) and then watching the fight (“Saturday
Night’s Alright” as anthem; “Fight Medley”). She is blissfully unaware as Verne
sings over her (“Breaking Hearts”). She suffers again, on waking and finding that
Verne has disappeared. Pam remains with Mary and Joe going west, giving up her
her hopes for Verne and Nigel.

7. The familiar relationship with Nigel is restored on a higher level when she sees
him sleeping outside Gwen’s Beverly Hills mansion. This is outwardly a coming
back to the familiar for her; the relationship through suffering and a price, is now
on a different level.

8. We see Pam experiencing an epiphany, singing over the wounded and sleeping
Nigel (“Breaking Hearts” reprise—as before, the scene of singer-and-sleeper is a
tableau.) At this moment she takes life and love more seriously, understanding
all at once that Nigel has suffered exhaustion and pain, and risked humiliation, all
to return to her.
She knows and is known by Nigel now, and on the basis of honesty, enters on a
fuller, more mature relationship.
Nigel’s Arc

We meet Nigel in his comfort zone also (“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with
Pam). He is happy in his scientific abstraction, oblivious of problems that arise
with Pam and the outside world. He is looking forward to the places he wants to
visit on the trip, (not realising that Pam is putting on a brave face about them).

Nigel needs to grow when he realises Pam is attract to Verne. He feels

increasingly insecure. He hankers all the more after success, and a possible
prestigious fellowship in Los Angeles now, both for their own sakes and in order
to marry Pam.

The Roadside and then the Roadhouse are unfamiliar territory to him, increased
by the new and unexpected interactions among the travellers. Pam now is not
the girl he thought he knew, with her increased demands (“Dan Dare”), her
flirtation with Verne, and most of all when he discovers her deception in the
matter of the passport. His anger, so long dammed up, comes out shockingly and
suddenly (“Whipping Boy”). He commits himself to a life of independence--
whether he is fitted for it or not.

Nigel makes the decision to leave and is not present for the rest of the Roadhouse
scenes and all of the Mission town scene. Off stage, he suffers emotionally (and
physically) for his decision, and his coldness towards Pam.

Nigel is led by contrition and tenuous hope to Gwen’s LA mansion, where he

appears at the beginning of the Gwen’s mansion scene. He has made a further
decision to throw himself on Pam’s mercy, if only he can find her again. He has
learned. and ruefully sings of his humiliations and his lost fight (“Grow Some
Funk Of Your Own”).

He awakens as Pam finishes “Breaking Hearts reprise”. Forgiving her, he asks

and receives Pam’s forgiveness, and forgives her.

At the end, he is in full communion with the group, having passed through battle
with them (against the Heavies when they finally catch up with Verne and the
group). He has matured, and accepts help from Grey Seal; Nigel goes off set as
one of the group, supporting Verne, Joe, Dolly, and Gwen in the new venture of
reviving the club, Philadelphia Freedom.

Dolly’s Arc

Dolly is in a familiar but increasingly unbearable situation. She feels extreme

isolation and loneliness, longing to be with her sons, and not really daring to
hope for new love. She does have her familiar work, driving, which she does
well, but it is increasingly a prison. (“Rocket Man”).
The colourful characters that board the bus in Denver, arouse in her an appetite
for adventure. She feels astrong attraction for Joe, who is obviously capable of
rescuing her and her sons from their situation, and is handsome, her own age
and responsible. It doesn’t hurt that he is rich. This however can never be
decisive with Dolly, who has in earlier life spurned material security for moral
reasons. (We will learn this as she sings “Shoulder Holster “ later). Dolly is more
alive as they leave the Denver bus station.

Dolly shows decision and leadership as they all get together by the Roadside in
their common plight. She is beginning to care less for her job’s formal
requirements and more for the passengers as people (“Honky Cat”)

She is drawn out further, into a mentor role vis-a-vis the younger woman, Pam
(song: “Shoulder Holster”).

Dolly knowingly risks her job in staying with the others and detouring to Gwen’s
with them . [She gets the news of the failure of the bus company at either the
Roadhouse the Mission or at Gwen’s and this means more fear, but Dolly has the
courage toto go out as an independent. ]

At the Mission town, Dolly stays with Joe when he seeks his past, and supports
him when he uncovers the old tragedy of his childhood (“Ticking”) and has a
breakdown. She feels for and suffers with him and offers her love (“It’s Me That
You Need”).

The fight (instrumental: “Saturday Night” at least as ‘quote’) in front of Gwen’s

mansion in Beverly Hills is a return to Dolly’s wilder, more combative character,
(“The Bitch Is Back”) which she forsook before the opening of this story. She is
exhilarated by the action. Dolly’s loyalty to Joe and Verne in the face of danger
are the proof of this change, and of the love she feels. She is the same person, but
stronger, and is now devoting herself to those that love her and who (Joe
especially) share her goals– loving family life with her man and her boys.

Anthea’s Arc

(Note: Anthea’s marriage to Verne, the birth and then death of their child all
occurred during the period when Verne was totally estranged from his family.
His brother Joe briefly knew and liked Anthea as Verne’s girlfriend, and sensed
she was Verne’s salvation.

This for long unseen character is referred to, and is a bone of contention between
Joe and Verne early on. Unseen, she is a source of longing and of fear for Verne
throughout the first act. All this pressure makes Anthea a source of suspense for
the story and makes her eventual appearance more of a shock.]

Now, for the arc:

Anthea enters last of all major characters. (Gwen can be seen as more of a motive
force than a major character.) Anthea is lost and bereaved and parted from
Verne. Anthea’s former love for Verne and her grief for their child, and her
blame of Verne for his failure to support her are all before the opening of this
story. These emotions are expressed when she appears to Verne is his dream or
vision. (Tune or song here “Blues for my Baby and Me” or S. f. G)
Verne’s phone call at the end of Act I, though abortive, planted the seed for her
joining the group; she is willing to try again with Verne. Also, Anthea senses that
Verne is in trouble. On her appearance at the Roadhouse, she is tense, worried
but beginning to hope. The later morning at the Roadhouse, at the beginning of
Act II is her launch into a new, unfamiliar situation.

She decides to trust the strangers, especially Dolly, and to continue her quest for
Verne with them. Anthea too is growing in confidence (Dolly repeatedly has this
effect on another character, and ultimately on herself - see Dolly’s Arc.)

Anthea again risks her dignity when she takes utterly decisive action, contacting
Verne to get him to help rescue Joe from his breakdown. Anthea suffers with
Verne and the group over Joe through his breakdown, brief disappearance and
reappearance atop the Mission church tower. Anthea suffers her fear by herself
when Verne himself also lingers on the top of the church tower, a dangerous
situation.

She is rewarded when Verne comes down to her (“Your Song”). Anthea is filled
with hope and achieves mutual forgiveness with Verne.

She has reunited with Verne and made peace with him. They will remember the
child they lost together, and comfort each other for the rest of their lives. She is
in a renewed relationship, without constant danger, with good friends and
backers.

Joe’s Arc.

At the beginning, Joe is superficially content. He is young, handsome and

successful. He has a job to do, commissioned by Gwen to find and retrieve Verne.
He feels competent to deal with his shared bereavement (George’s death) and, all
that may come of it. He is fundamentally decent, although emotionally barren,
uninvolved with people on any deep level, a creature of duty.

He wants to have Verne’s cooperation but can’t get it. (Song: “Social Disease”) He
is now vexed and frustrated. He wants the Colt .45, and gets it—but how
securely? He gains Verne’s cooperation, but for how long?

Joe’s assurance cracks a bit in the unfamiliar situation successively at the Bus
station, By the Roadside (“Honky Cat”) and At the Roadhouse. He is travelling in
an unfamiliar mode, with strangers, and a brother whom he has learned to
distrust. He is confronted with the friendly mockery of the group.
Joe comes to Verne’s rescue in the Roadhouse barroom fight, gains a new
affection and trust for Verne, but loses them on Verne’s desertion the next day.
He feels disappointment and some fear of what Gwen might say.

Joe regains his lost childhood at the Mission town, the memory triggers that
appear (“Ticking”) breaking through his amnesia. Terrible memories are
unleashed and threaten to destroy him completely.

Joe is now at his lowest point in the story. He has no self-assurance and can only
regain his ability to function by showing his weakness and trusting others to love
him in spite of it.

Before leaving the Mission, for Los Angeles and Gwen’s Mansion, Joe makes the
difficult choice to accept the love of Dolly and of Verne. He is on the path to
healing.

Joe’s new situation is secure, and emotionally rich with real and loving
relationships; new, as with Dolly; renewed and transformed as with Verne.

The fight in front of Gwen’s mansion, (“Saturday Night”, “Bitch is Back”) tests and
confirms the strength of these new bonds. Joe is now genuinely as strong as he
always looked.

Verne’s Arc
(Much over-written as it stands—I want to mull it a bit more)

Minor characters

Gwen’s Arc

Gwen’s initial state is a great star’s almost proverbial loneliness. She is feeling
old. George her ex-husband is dead, Verne has gone. (She never knew about
Verne’s actual marriage to Anthea or of the birth and death of her grandchild.)

Gwen initially wants her family around her, and perceives the chance afforded by
George’s death and the likely surfacing of Verne for the funeral or sale of
George’s affects. She commands Joe to go to Denver and retrieve Verne at any
cost.

Gwen appears on the balcony (redone during interval as a California mansion,

etc. palms etc.), “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, is suitably sad, but
dignified, as Gwen always is. The grandeur of the music in “DLTSGDOM” suits
Gwen’s supersize character, magnificent even in her near-despair. The precise
location in time of this little scene is not important, as it symbolises Gwen’s
longstanding emotional state, which will last until near the end of the play, just
before the finale.
In the last scene, Gwen is so exhilarated by the reappearance of Verne and the
transformation of Joe, that her hypochondria drops away and she embraces life
with all her old zest and brio.