ANA SMITH (w): 30s. Pronounced “Ah-nuh.” Beautiful. Charming. Smart. Accomplished. Organized. A columnist for a daily paper. The “Mother Bee.” Her grace masks a need to control.
ROBERT NOVUM SMITH JR (m): 30s. ANA’s golden-boy handsome, charismatic, underachiever husband who is starting to search for meaning. Met in college. Upper-crust background.
WILLIAM LEENOTHINGEL (m): 30s. ROB’s conservative, well-read, well-dressed, disciplined college roommate. ANA’s former boyfriend. History buff. Unmarried.
JENNIFER McCLINTOCK (w): 30s. ANA’s friend. Pretty. Shy. Smart. Tends to burst out with awkward truthful comments. Despite some lack of self-confidence, she is the grounding center of the group. Unorganized and oblivious to her own attractiveness. Unmarried.
LILY LOUISE JACKSON (w): black, 30s. A go-getter. Former debate captain who is on the cusp of all current trends and yet can still put her foot in he rmouth in social occasions. Laughs at appropriate and in appropriate times. A great lover of books and ANA’s protégé at the paper.
ALEX (m): 30s. The new guy. A very smart, well-read academic who has lost his moorings and is searching for real connections. Professor of comparative literature.
PUNDIT (either): plays five characters: SAM, Wal-Mart guy; FRANK, Secret Service agent; ELSA, jaded literary agent; MRS. SIMPSON, sky diver; CARL, inmate book dealer.
