Anna

Anna is a vibrant thirty-two-year-old dancer, her spirit as aspiring as her ambition to become a choreographer. Her elegance is matched by her striking height and formidable strength. When the curtain rises, Anna is consumed with sorrow over the tragic loss of her beloved gay roommate, Robbie, who perished in an unforeseen boating mishap. At Robbie’s funeral, confusion swirls as she is mistakenly identified as his girlfriend—his family, either unaware of or unwilling to accept his true identity. In the opening act, Anna is a portrait of exhaustion, seeking solace in a glass and the comfort of a cigarette. Pale barges into her life one night, a month later, and amidst the chaos, she extends a comforting hand. Their initial collision turns tender as they share her bed, leaving Anna visibly changed by his presence. Fast forward to two months later, Anna, contemplating the path to matrimony and motherhood, marks the arrival of New Year's Eve with Burton. Pale's nocturnal visit rekindles old emotions, but Anna, trembling with fear, urges him to leave. She buries herself in her art, crafting a dance that whispers of Pale. In the play's closing moments, their reunion unfolds, where truths are laid bare, and feelings acknowledged.

Burton

Burton cuts an imposing figure with his tall stature, athletic build, and striking looks. A screenwriter whose success shadows his role as Anna’s boyfriend, Burton is there to console Anna at her most vulnerable, though his absence at Robbie’s funeral—due to his time in Canada—remains a sore point. Immersed in his craft, Burton’s motivation leans more towards profit than passion, viewing screenwriting as a lucrative venture rather than an art form. He seldom troubles himself with the final production of his sold scripts. In the play's second act, a New Year's Eve celebration with Anna is abruptly disrupted by Pale, leading to a heated confrontation. The revelation of Anna’s intimacy with Pale shatters Burton, compelling him to depart. His attempts to reconnect with Anna, including a tense morning phone call interrupted by Pale, end in silence. Returning once more to find Larry, Burton confesses to a life untouched by loss until now, grappling with the void left by Anna's absence.

Jimmy

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Larry

Larry, a sharp-witted twenty-seven-year-old, shares a home and a deep friendship with Anna. As a gay man thriving in the advertising world, Larry is both confidant and comic relief, lightening the play’s heavy moments with humor. He perceives the undercurrents of Anna's affection for Pale long before she dares to acknowledge them. With an intuitive understanding of their unspoken connection, Larry orchestrates Pale’s attendance at Anna's dance premiere, a subtle yet telling display of her emotions. Ultimately, it is a simple note from Larry that reunites the estranged lovers.

Pale

Pale, Robbie's elder brother, storms into the narrative in the second scene, driven by the task of retrieving his late brother’s possessions. A restaurant manager with an enigmatic air, Pale's life is a tangle of half-truths, including his separation from his family—a revelation that emerges only with time. At thirty-six, he embodies a rugged attractiveness, rooted in his blue-collar sensibilities, and his speech is peppered with vulgarities. Though aware of Robbie’s sexuality, Pale initially cloaks his emotions with derision and sarcasm. Yet, beneath his brash exterior lies a wounded soul, grappling with the absence of his brother. When vulnerability surfaces, Anna beckons him to her side. Their night together culminates in his hasty departure at dawn, only for him to return two months later, disrupting Anna’s evening with Burton. A clash ensues, and Burton exits, leaving Pale to stay. Morning light reveals Anna’s plea for his departure, which he heeds reluctantly. But upon witnessing Anna’s dance—a reflection of their intertwined fates—and with Larry's clandestine assistance, Pale finds his way back to her. In their final scene, unspoken desires come to light, as Pale confesses his love for Anna.