The Curious Savage
by John Patrick

An eccentric, wealthy widow; she wears outlandish clothes, sports royal blue hair, and carries a tattered teddy bear with her everywhere she goes. Although she is feisty and somewhat insurrectionary, she always remains poised and well mannered. Quick-witted, funny and highly intelligent, Ethel always sides with the underdog, scorning bullies, braggarts and opportunists. A delightfully spry and aware woman of indeterminate age. While her figure betrays her years, her eyes are sparkling and youthful. She wears a constant half-smile that gives the impression of amusement even in anger.

Late thirties. Four-times-married socialite. Grasping and vain. Dominant of her brothers, she is the family ringleader. Lily is tall, slender, chic and assured. The only situation to which she is unequal is her fortieth birthday.

Forties. US Senator. Intelligent but snobbish, fastidious and proud. Titus looks like a well-dressed business man of conservative tastes. He is sober, humorless and direct.

Forties. Inept circuit court judge. Boorish and slow-witted. Samuel is short, undistinguished and somewhat lost in the penumbra of his brother’s cold authority and his sister’s brittle self-assurance.

Sixties. Even-tempered and wise director of the Harbor. A compassionate, outgoing man.

Mid-twenties. Nurse at the Cloisters. An efficient and attractive young woman, Willie is kind, patient and clever. Very professional, but with a slight air of mischief underneath.

Early twenties or late teens. Though somewhat plain and awkward physically, Fairy possesses a vivid imagination and is prone to wild tales of reckless imagination. She is creative, wide-eyed and highly dramatic. Rather plain, scrubbed and gawky. Her dark hair emphasizes the pallor of her skin, a contradiction to her gay and sanguine nature. Hers is a classic beauty vitiated by the severe arrangement of her hair, an unimaginative dress and steel-rimmed glasses.

Thirties. Ever the lady, Florence is elegant, poised and seriously delusional. She carries a life-sized doll and regards him as her son, John Thomas. Florence believes wholeheartedly in proper etiquette and social graces. A soft, sweet-faced woman, she is gentle and eager to please. A sweet and tremulous smile is her best and most disarming weapon.

Pushing forty. A retired mathematician, Hannibal is a whiz with numbers and a font of information. He has recently taken up the violin. Chubby and balding slightly. Pink, plump and cherubic.

In her fifties. Bellicose and (mostly) non-verbal, Mrs. Paddy is a curmudgeon who only speaks when she’s complaining. She spends most of her time silently finger-painting at her easel. A dumpy, ferocious little hen in a paint-smeared smock, she is a woman of awesome ferocity. Her close-cropped hair bristles from her head with aggressive hostility.

Late twenties. A handsome and dignified young veteran, Jeffrey suffers from severe PTSD, resulting in memory loss and the mistaken belief that he has been physically scarred. Despite these challenges, he is generally affable, eager to learn, and kind. He is also an accomplished pianist.