Character Sketches

After formulating the script,we decided to set about fleshing out our characters. Part of the process was formulating their personalities, establishing backstories, and even researching the etymology of their names (my favorite!). Below are some of the character sketches Elanna and I came up with:

• Eleonora Lee (or Nora, for short). We arrived at this name after researching "light," seeing as Nora will enlighten her community. We want her to be compassionate, spunky, though a little hot-headed, and driven by her desire to spread awareness about LGBT rights to carry on Alma's legacy and come to terms with her own bisexuality.
• Alma Rodriguez - her name means "soul" in Spanish, reflecting her serenity and Hispanic descent. Though she was very courageous in being openly gay at her school, eventually the inhumanity and cruelty of her classmates drove her to suicide. We want Alma to be more than just a name dropped throughout the plot, so we will detail aspects of her personality throughout our production - her love of sunflowers, her affinity for large dogs, her self-consciousness about her smile. 
• Reina Rodriguez - As Alma's older sister, she always  served as her protector. Though reserved and somewhat sullen, her inner sunshine peeks through the cracks and she demonstrates a formidable strength even in the face of the scrutinizing attention paid to her family in the wake of a horrible tragedy. 

We figured coming up with character traits will help us advance the plot and also direct the actors in our production. Though we still haven't cast our actors, knowing the character traits will definitely help us cast our actors.