character notes

Traveler
Name: Neil (no last name)
age: 16 or 17, young

about: mature, soft spoken, fairly quiet. Very normal looking. Clothes have no distinguishing style. When traveling, has a large burlap or cloth bag. Happy, but undertone of difficult past that is not explained.

Theme: family, independance
family 1: w/out parents, older brother (early 20's), older sister (17-ish), younger sister (12 or 13)
location: out of city suburbs, beach area if possible

brother (actor: spencer) (Sean): controlling, self-employed ruler of household. Huge temper, quick to anger. Possibly abuses rest of family. Mean. Inwardly despises Neil.

older sister(Carie)(actor: jes): kind. fairly distraught and tired looking. keeps to herself. usually busy. Does not really show any feeling about Neil.

younger sister(Valentine): (any little girl) seems naive at first, but later shows a lot of maturity. Scared of brother, easily submits to him. Energetic when alone, but very conserved when around brother. Gradually confides in Neil.

Conflict: the sisters are trying to become more and more expressive, but their brother's control isn't allowing them to be. Neil helps the older sister realize that her younger sister needs a mother figure, and helps the younger sister realize that she needs to start to stand up to her brother.

Theme: isolation, friendship, dependance
Family 3: mother (middle-age), son (16 or 17), also short segment
Location: brief scene or two inside house, mostly in exterior space

mother: no real characterization
son(Sam) (actor: madison): antisocial, rebel, punk. No real friends, hangs out alone alot.
(additional actors: stranger: vic)

conflict: as traveler comes into this situation, it is obvious that the son is an outcast. Traveler asks mother about it, and she describes how he has no friends and is alone most of the time. She says how he needs people to interact with, and that he seems to only be able to express himself through that interaction. Traveler then finds son somewhere in the city, and talks to him. Traveler realizes that son doesn't realize his own dependancy on people. Encourages son to seek others, so that he can feel more confident. As traveler leaves, son starts conversation with stranger.

Theme: love, relationships
family 4: brother (teenager, 14 or 15) sister (higher teens, 18-20)
location: small house, dark/not very well lighted

sister(Anna) (actor: michaela): overtly tries to be a mother to brother, flippant, nonchalant, easy-going
brother(me) (miles) : not necessarily awkward, but quiet and self-contained. Is happy but also troubled.
(additional actors: dan's gf: tori, anna's friend: anyone, a few extras for a quick party scene)

conflict: Both brother and sister are dealing with relationship problems. Sister has too many, brother (according to sister) doesn't have enough/any. She has repeatedly tried to set him up with dates, but as traveler sees when he has one, it doesn't work very well. Brother and sister argue about all this, and sister describes why people should have a partner, which Traveler notices to be what most people consider to be friends. Talks to her about this and sister realizes she's been looking for a friend, not a relationship. He also talks to brother. Brother says that he's not opposed to being in a relationship, and has nothing against the people his sister sets him up with, he just can't connect with them. Traveler asks what he wants in a relationship, and after brother describes it, Neil recalls a girl the brother had been chatting with at a party his sister had had. Brother says they got along well and were kind of friends now, but realizes that he wanted to pursue a relationship with her. Situation ends with sister hanging with one of her friends, and brother and girl watching a movie.