THE CHARACTERS
Admiral George Becker (72)
The scion of old money, this brilliant, eccentric, cantankerous, former astronaut was the last man to walk on the moon in a feat that was all but ignored by the TV networks. He now lives secluded on an island off the coast of Maine where he tinkers with oddball inventions and broods about the decay of democracy. Like a raging Cassandra, uncannily prescient on the arc of history, he sees the New Millennium as the turning point toward the fall of Western Civilization. Though his daughters fret that he may have Alzheimer's, little do they know that the Admiral has a grandiose plan to save them all from the coming apocalypse. And though the Admiral's timing may be off, his instincts are right on.
Gertrude Becker (45)
The Admiral's eldest daughter. A formidable residential high-rise developer whose cool exterior conceals an underlying vulnerability, and whose drive for success masks a pervasive malaise. Gert is now on her third marriage to the much younger Antonio with whom she's proposed an "open" relationship as a fortress against abandonment. When the story begins, she has for the past two months reluctantly taking care of her father whom she suspects of faking his mental decline. Now she is anxious to return to New York City to focus on her latest project, a "Megatall" glass monolith towering over the Singapore skyline. In the end, Gert will finally summon the courage to let down her guard and find the emotional redemption that has long eluded her.
Lizzy Grossman (38)
The Admiral's youngest daughter. Lizzy is world-renowned political economist grown disenchanted with academia and weary of her arrogant womanizing husband, Richard. She is the ever-put upon peacemaker in the family, and is convinced that Gert is downplaying her father's symptoms of dementia. Ultimately, Lizzy will leave Richard, abandon her burdensome obligations, and embark on a journey that truly feeds her soul.
Monica Buderescu (28)
A jaded Eastern European emigre who was once Lizzy's post-graduate protege in political economics. But finding the field dreary and boring, she dropped out of her PhD program to become a soft news TV journalist for a New York City morning show. Having learned of the Admiral's Apollo history she has come to interview the old spaceman for a puff-piece profile on the 25th anniversary of his walk on the moon. When her camera crew is grounded by the storm, she uses her seductive charm to entertain herself with serial sexual hijinks. Ultimately, however, Monica's need for meaning and authenticity will draw her heart and mind into the Admiral's orbit.
Richard Grossman (45)
Lizzy's insufferable, smug husband and the father of Jake and Robbie, he oozes superficial charm and wit. Richard's tech company contracts with the government and ultra-wealthy clients to provide electronic security and surveillance, and having recently sold an over-the-top system to the Admiral, he is now looking to con Gert into a massive contract for her new high profile high-rise. Though Gert repeatedly punctures his ego with impeccably targeted darts of refined contempt, nothing fully deflates his ego until the explosive climax leaves "Dickhead" alone and bereft.
Ralph (59)
Taciturn former Vietnam medic who Gert hired to handle the maintenance of the Admiral's compound. Sharing the Admiral's clear-eyed view of America's moral decline, Ralph and the Admiral quickly became BFF's and partners in crime. Underestimated by Gert, Lizzy and the other guests, Ralph is an unobtrusive presence, but along with the Admiral, a moral anchor in the evening's storm of uncertainty. When the going gets rough, Ralph will exert much needed good judgment and leadership to prevent a perilous situation from turning deadly.
Bonnie (67)
A New Age spiritual healer, Gert hired Bonnie to do light housekeeping and care for the Admiral. Bonnie is a maternal pagan spirit who gently indulges the Admiral's peccadillos while aspiring to create a Zen-like atmosphere for the unruly reunion. Though sweet and compassionate by nature, she is has deep reserves of inner strength and is far from being a push-over unable to assert command. To dissipate the evening's accumulation of negative energy she does all she can by offering herb-laced carrot juice cocktails, and Woodstock wisdom on the restorative power of peace, acceptance, and sexual freedom. Ironically, she will have her own sexual awakening when her intrigue with their terrorist guest evolves into something more.
Donald Harrington (60)
Monica's tag-along date. A socially awkward investment banker involved in the acquisition of Monica's local TV station by a national media conglomerate. Hoping the merger will land Monica an anchor job at a major news station is the real agenda behind her romantic liaison with this sweet naive bean counter. Unaware of Monica's ulterior motives, Donald fails to recognize that she is way out of his league. As the evening progresses, he loses his bearings more and more as Monica's behavior and the family's unconventional life-style challenge his buttoned-down perspectives. Unable to bend, he will break, and when the Coast Guard arrives, they find him shivering and naked, babbling incoherently about the end of the world.
Antonio (25)
Antonio is Gert's Cuban-American trophy husband
who works as a personal trainer, and aspires to be a TV actor. Preferring the anglicized Andy to Antonio, he is an Energizer
Bunny- boyish, na"ive, and irrepressibly optimistic if a bit selfinvolved. He truly loves Gert, but when he discovers Monica, a
former fitness client, is a guest at the reunion, he jumps at the
chance to reignite their past fling. Monica will not unsurprisingly, use him and leave him. But when Gert needs him the most, he'll
man up and be there for her.
Syed (30)
Harvard educated son of the Saudi Ambassador to Canada, Syed became radicalized during the first Gulf War and over US support for authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. A lone actor, inspired by - but not associated with al-Qaeda - Syed is by nature, a poet and an intellectual who has come to believe that violent action and sacrifice is the only path to justice. Initially defiant and contemptuous he will eventually find himself beguiled by the oddball infidels who hold him captive, especially the free-spirited Bonnie.
Jake (13) & Robbie (10) Grossman
Richard's delinquent sons by an earlier marriage. Jake is the ringleader hell bent on wreaking chaos for chao's sake. Badly longing for his older brother's acceptance, Robbie goes along with Jake's antics, but frets about his more extreme shenanigans. When Jake suspects the Admiral is up to something with his mysterious rocket, he - with Robbie in tow - does everything in their power to sabotage his plans. Unwittingly, their final act of disruption brings about an explosive climax that nearly destroys everyone and everything.
