Crope

Crope is a student at Briscoe Hall, part of Shiz University, who first appears as a friend and classmate of Boq. He is almost always seen with his companion Tibbett, and the two are described as a pair, sharing a theatrical and campy manner that sets them apart from the more earnest Boq. Crope is a Gillikinese, the son of a tax collector in the Emerald City, a fact that gives him a certain social standing but also a degree of worldliness that contrasts with Boq's Munchkinlander provincialism.

Role in the Secret Research

During the summer after their second year, Boq recruits Crope and Tibbett to help him secretly research materials for Doctor Dillamond, the Goat professor who is investigating the biological differences between Animals and animals. Crope and Tibbett initially want to go about their forays in elaborate costumes of disguise—fake pince-nez, powdered wigs, and cloaks with high collars—but Boq dissuades them. Once convinced of the seriousness of the mission, they throw themselves into the work with gusto. They meet weekly with Boq and Elphaba at a cafe in Railway Square, and Crope contributes to the intellectual banter, once offering a cynical remark about the Lurlinist creation myth: "What a gift, to be able to imagine your own death." His participation is driven more by loyalty to Boq and the thrill of secrecy than by any deep political conviction about Animal rights.

The Attack on Fiyero and Aftermath

Crope and Tibbett are present during the infamous life sciences lecture by Doctor Nikidik, when a cloud of "Extract of Biological Intention" animates a set of antlers that attack the Vinkus student Fiyero. As the antlers pin Fiyero against a locked door and rear back to stab him in the face, Crope and Tibbett are the first to act. They leap onto the stage, wrestle the murderous antlers to the ground, and break off the driving tines, saving Fiyero's life. This act of bravery is a rare moment of decisive action for Crope, who is otherwise portrayed as more of a spectator and commentator. After this, Crope and Tibbett continue to be part of the extended circle of friends, but their presence becomes less central. Crope later enters an arts auction house, and Fiyero notes that he sees him from time to time at social occasions, but they do not speak. Crope also appears in the Emerald City years later, where he is seen shopping with Glinda and is described as having a "little palace of a loft apartment" and dabbling in painting and operetta set design. He is present when Glinda and Fiyero meet by chance, and he confirms that he once thought he saw Elphaba in the rain, a fleeting glimpse that underscores her disappearance from their lives.