The Boys of Cherry Hill

Cast of Characters

Cover photo taken by Polish photographer David Seymour aka Chim, titled "Three Boys Walking Down Road"

JANE:
An heiress and business woman in her late-twenties, well-travelled, stern and fearless, Ms. Jane is as clever as she is somewhat intimidating to her upper-class compatriots. Though mildly anti-social, Jane is acutely aware of her wealth and privilege, and ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who asks for it. And often anyone who doesn't.

BRUCE:
Thirteen years old, and the unspoken leader of the other boys, Bruce is calm and rational. His first priority has always been his friends, whom he defends against harm and their own stubbornness (cough, cough, Harrison) armed with a persuasive tone of voice and a protective spirit.

HARRISON:
A twelve-year-old boy, aggressive and untrusting, Harrison has a blunt way of speaking and a decisive attitude. He is fiercely loyal, oftentimes and unfortunately to the point of rash decisions. He knows when to run into a fight for what's right, but is still working on walking away when it starts to become obvious he might not be able to in a few minutes.

LIL' ED:
A six-year-old boy, Edward "Lil' Ed" is eager to please, and generally timid. He tends to gravitates towards strong personalities, and has a kind, intuitive heart. He's been scared most of his life, living on the streets, but understands that to get out of danger, sometimes you have to take a risk.

ANGELA:
A woman in her late-twenties, and a friend of Jane's. Proud but kind, Angela is confined to bed due to an illness. An illness that might as well give up if it thinks it will keep her from doing whatever she likes whenever she likes thank you very much.

DRIVER:
A loyal and simple-spoken old man with wisdom that shines through his simple phrases. This driver has been with the Meredith family since Jane was a child, and has become as attached to the estate and family as the house to the hill and grass to the field.

MR. KARTER:
The gruff old groundskeeper of Cherry Hill, Mr. Ezekiel Karter is cantankerous, grumpy, impossible to please, and of about the same disposition as a tired old barn cat who is just so tired of people coming into his barn- but he loves Ms. Jane. And the day he stops helping her is the day they lay him in that grave he'll probably dig for himself since no one else could possible do it right.

MOLLY:
Cherry Hill's cook, Molly is a sweet woman in her late-thirties. She loves her home and her family there, and would do anything for them. Except give up her great-grandmother's pie recipe of course. There's no emergency that could ever be that dire.

NATHANIEL:
Cherry Hill's butler, Nathaniel is a quiet and generally nonchalant older man. He has known Ms. Jane since infancy, and his attitude towards her has remained stoically the same. Protection at all costs. From the thorn bush little Jane nearly wandered into at age 4, to the unkempt probably-kidnapping vagabond that had come to call on her at age 16, and from complete social distancing in the current day. All of this protection applied firmly, with a straight face, and unwavering loyalty.

BANKER:
A sweet, simple, confused man. Who wouldn't entrust their saving to him? An honest face is worth a thousand college degrees, and no face could be more honest, and more often flabbergasted and quizzical, than this Mr. Horace Stuller.

LADY 1:
A must-invite for every social gather, this unnamed lady of the city is anticipated at social events chiefly to see how long it will take her to put her foot in her mouth- often washed down with "just a drop dear" of brandy. It is quite amusing, and who doesn't need a little bit of laughter at their obligatory and inevitably stuffy social gathering?

LADY 2:
The enabler of the above liquor-induced entertainer, this lady is what all ladies are who have a large front window and a large amount of free time: an incurable gossip. Of course this makes her an excellent outlet of exposition, and so in thanks I will paint her here as kind, sweet, beautiful, and whatever else she demands to be called so that she will say the things that I need to be said.

LAWYER:
A man whose "profession is his life," would learn from this man that his life should exist for his profession. A man of both the lower and upper class by his kindness and ability to say absolutely nothing and still sound important, this lawyer was a friend of Jane's father, and is still close to the family.

ATTACKER:
If someone caught a rabid dog, gave it a dirty cap and giant boots, and attached it's leash to the strong moral principle of "might makes right and also pays for my whisky," they would have an imitation of an unfortunately large percentage of the downtown thugs. This man is one of them, with a healthy lathering of pig-stench added for distinction.

OFFICER:
Same as the above, except the dog wandered into a police training yard one day and they kept it because it was dumb and incapable of asking uncomfortable questions. Corruption and an interest in enforcing power over those weaker than himself naturally earned this officer a position in the poorest neighbourhood where no one else wanted to stay and watch him.

TEACHER:
Mr. Harvey, a tall, balding man with a strict look and intuitive mind, is liked by those students which he doesn't discipline often, disliked by those he does, and loved by those he berates into oblivion to reach their full potential. The amount of times he sends you to the corner to "think, if you can!" is directly proportionate to how much he believes you will change the course of human history. Otherwise, why would he waste his breath?

MAN:
One of Ms. Jane's many rejected suitors. Sweet, polite, boring. The poor thing was made to be liked and forgotten.

MAN 2:
Slightly more outspoken and confident than Ms. Jane's other suitors, but boastful, with that little sprinkle of arrogance that makes him interesting but, eventually exhausting. And so he falls to the side with the rest, wondering how on earth he go there.