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There are several main characters in ''Carnivàle'', an American television serial drama set in the United States Depression-era Dust Bowl between 1934 and 1935. It aired on HBO between 2003 and 2005. The show traces the disparate storylines of an ensemble of fictional characters revolving around two main characters: young Ben Hawkins working in a traveling carnival, and a California preacher named Brother Justin Crowe. ''Carnivàle'' has a large cast, amounting to eighteen main cast actors over its two-season run. Most characters are introduced in Ben's storyline: Samson, a dwarf co-running the carnival with Management; Jonesy, Samson's right-hand man with a crippling knee injury; Apollonia and Sofie, two fortunetellers working a mother-daughter act; Lodz, a blind mentalist, and his lover, Lila the Bearded Lady; the cootch (striptease) Dreifuss family; snake charmer Ruthie and her son Gabriel, a strongman; and many other sideshow performers. The supporting characters of Brother Justin's storyline are his sister Iris, his mentor Reverend Norman Balthus, radio show host Tommy Dolan, and convict Varlyn Stroud. Several characters appear in mysterious dreams and visions connecting the slowly converging storylines. Show creator Daniel Knauf's original story pitch to HBO included elaborate character biographies, which he gave to the actors, the writers and the studio as an overview over the series' intended plot. These biographies were rewritten before the filming of the first season began. Receiving little to no mention in the series afterwards, the original character backgrounds were summarized on the official HBO website. After the show's cancellation, the writers revealed future character arcs and forwarded all original biographies to fans as part of the show's so-called "Pitch Document". Due to their nature, these sources do not offer canon information per se, but provide a frame for the characters' motivation throughout the series. The thematic and period setting of ''Carnivàle'' required an unusual casting approach. While some actors were hired for their genetic disabilities, most actors were specifically cast for their unique and distinct looks to fit the 1930s period. Award-winning costumes and make-up enhanced the illusion. Reviews generally lauded the actors and characters, and several actors received award recognition for their performances. ==Character conception== Conceiving the initial script for ''Carnivàle'' between 1990 and 1992, Daniel Knauf set its plot in a carnival environment in the 1930s Dust Bowl, which he felt had not been dramatized as a series yet. He had grown up with a disabled father who was not commonly accepted as a normal human being. Freaks of the 1930s, however, who might not have found another place offering a future than a carnival, tended to be celebrities in the period.〔〔 Daniel Knauf expanded the plot with a complex fictional universe based on a good versus evil theme, led by carnival healer Ben Hawkins and Brother Justin Crowe, a California preacher. In his story pitch to HBO, Knauf presented ''Carnivàle'' as a collection of media samples from the perspective of a fictional author trying to uncover Ben's mysterious story. These fictional samples consisted of interviews, diary entries, and various newspaper clippings, photos and book references forming the character biographies of all major ''Carnivàle'' characters.〔 The character backgrounds were further developed before the filming of ''Carnivàle'' began, but were not made part of the show's visible structure. The audience would therefore only get to know the characters as a natural aspect in the story.〔〔 〕 The characters themselves are confronted with "self-realization and becoming aware of these () powers and learning to harness them, and the implications of this battle between good and evil."〔 Seventeen actors received star billing in the first season; fifteen of whom were part of the carnival storyline. The second season amounted to thirteen main cast members, supplemented by several actors in recurring roles.〔Numbers are based on the number of actor names appearing in the opening titles of each season, respectively.〕 Although such large casts make shows more expensive to produce, the writers have more flexibility in story decisions. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Characters of Carnivàle」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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