Jack (fairy tales)

Jack L-R; Illustration by Walter Crane, Ben Wright in Broadway's Into the Woods, c. 1987, Daniel Huttlestone in the 2014 film of the musical Characters Adapted from Other Works First Appearance: "Jack and the Beanstalk" (original story); Into the Woods (relevant stage adaptation) Creator: Unknown (original); Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine (play) Nationality: England (original); An unnamed fantasy country (play) Species: Human Occupation: Farmhand, Explorer, Soldier-of-fortune Appearing in: "The Great White Way" by Laura Frankos Set in OTL Type of Appearance: Direct Species: VR avatar Cause of Death: Vehicular combat death Military Branch: Sondheads

Jack is the hero of the English folktale "Jack and the Beanstalk" which pits the simple farmboy against a treasure-hoarding giant. Another story, "Jack the Giant Killer," pits a hero named Jack against several giants including Cormoran, but does not involve a beanstalk. Several other English and Cornish stories also feature an everyman hero named Jack; whether they are all the same Jack is a matter of personal interpretation and individual opinion.

In the Stephen Sondheim play Into the Woods, Jack's beanstalk adventure takes place offstage (unless the relevant theater or film is equipped with enough special effects to handle it), and the remainder of Jack's role in the play has him facing the unforeseen consequences of his original adventure.

Jack in "The Great White Way"

Jack was a Sondhead warrior who patrolled his native Woods during the Sondheim-Webber battle. Jack was unable to prevent the Webberite feline champion Bustopher Jones from stealing his pie, and later perished under the wheels of Rusty the steam engine.

The Witch and The Wolf from the same play also took part in the battle.