Big Love of Charles MEE The Character of Olympia

This thesis is a character study of Olympia in Charles Mee’s “Big Love”. Olympia comes from a very large family, 50 sisters in all. The girls have been promised in marriage to their 50 cousins, but are not pleased with the arrangement. So, when their wedding day finally arrives, instead of making their way to the church, they make their way to the family boat and set sail. Heading in no certain direction, the girls finally reach Italy, and Olympia and two of her sisters, Thyona and Lydia, make their way to the nearest house and are taken in by a man named Piero from whom they hope to receive sanctuary and release them from their ill-fated contract. I personally had fallen in love with this play before Leon Ingulsrud, the director of “Big Love,” had mentioned that Swine Palace would be producing it. Hendrix College, where I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree, had produced it only months earlier and since I kept in contact with old friends I had heard many good things about it. So, I was very excited to be