Character Bio:

The character of Catherine is quite complex and unique. Catherine was born in Chicago and grew up in Chicago for all of her life. Her genius father mostly raised her, after her mother died. Catherine's older sister, Claire, lives in New York City. Catherine has all these hopes and dreams for the future. However, when her father, Robert, takes ill; she puts all her ambitions on hold. She devotes most of her time to taking care of her father, alone. Claire wishes to put their father in an institution, rather than let him live peacefully at home. Catherine, who does not want to put their father in a facility, drops out of Northwestern to take care of her schizophrenic father. Catherine has been mostly a loner for most of her life. She has very few people in her life and does not socialize much. Catherine does not interact with the other sex very much, most of the interaction she has with any man is with her father and Hal. She has never been married nor have any children. Hal, one of Robert’s old students, likes Catherine very much. Catherine does not care for Hal much at first; she tries to push him away. Robert asks Catherine to go out on her birthday and Catherine makes a remark about in order to go out on her birthday she has to have friends. The remark at the beginning of the play points out the hardships and the social isolation Catherine faces on a day-to-day basis. Catherine is also somewhat depressed. On most days, Catherine just sleeps all day long or just read magazines and nothing else. Catherine makes many sacrifices for her father. She has always been smart at mathematics, something she inherited from her father. Unfortunately, Catherine gives up all her talents to take care of her father. Robert is very grateful to Catherine; however, both Catherine and Robert always wonder what would have happened had she continued on at Northwestern University. Catherine is somewhat lost without her father, after he passes away.

Given Circumstances:

Catherine is currently going through a period of transition and self-doubt. Catherine happens to be dealing with her father’s death. Robert and Catherine shared a very close relationship together. She finds herself talking to her father, attempting to deal and resolve any issues she has in life. Catherine seems to seek out her father when she questions life and the choices she makes. She questions whether she will ever be as genius as her father. Catherine constantly compares herself to her father and the age at which his greatest work was done. She also thinks about Robert’s comments on the waste of her talents. He mentions how she should be working on her math instead of sitting around reading magazines and sleeping all day. It seems that Catherine’s character is a bit depressed and lost in life. Catherine is also forced to deal with her estranged sister, Claire. Claire to decides to come back from New York to attend their father’s funeral and finalize the arrangements of the estate. Claire fears that Catherine is on the same schizophrenic path as their father. Catherine attempts to defend her lifestyle, relationships, and sanity to Claire each time Claire questions or talks to Catherine.

Relationships:

Claire and Catherine share an estranged and strained relationship. Claire and Catherine have clashing personalities. Claire is more of an independent, outgoing, enthusiastic, go-getter, while Catherine is more quiet, reserved, and timid. Claire also tends to be ignorantly selfish, keeping her interests first. Catherine is very smart; however, she does not flaunt it much. Catherine seems to have some resentment towards Claire for wanting to leave their father in an institution. Claire does not spend much time with the family nor does she want to; she even mentions Chicago as a bore and draining compared to New York City. Claire worries that Catherine is on her way to the Looney bin like their father. Claire constantly questions Catherine’s competence and saneness. Another relationship to consider is between Catherine and Robert. Robert is Catherine and Claire’s father. He is quite supportive of Catherine; however, he knows that Catherine is intelligent and just wasting her talents taking care of him. Robert constantly provides sound advice to Catherine, in life and death. Robert seems to be quite understanding of Claire’s decision to be away and living her own life. Robert wants the same for Catherine, but he is also very grateful to her for not putting him into an institution like Claire wanted. Hal’s relationship to Catherine is a little rough at first. He mentions how he had a crush on Catherine from the moment he sees her. Hal is a devoted follower of Robert’s work as a mathematician, becoming one himself. Hal is quite kind-hearted and geeky. He deliberately attempts to surprise to Catherine with a heart felt note from her father in one of the math notebooks. Hal also stands up for Catherine when Claire decides to pick on her sanity. He helps bring Catherine back from the lonely solitude of her father and their house.

General Research:

The play is relatively contemporary in setting. It takes place around the mid to late 1990’s on a back porch of a house in Chicago, Illinois. The world is quite modernized at this time, technology is booming and new innovations are made daily. The house is a large and grand Victorian house with the creaky wooden floorboards and drafty ornate glass windows. The house is in need of some upkeep and repair, as the paint is peeling off the sides of the house. The house needs a deep cleaning as well. The house sits in a small suburb of downtown Chicago. It rests on the corner of a quiet street in a nice neighborhood. The weather is fall-like; nice enough to sit on the porch and enjoy the morning paper with coffee, but still cold enough to cause a draft in the house. Catherine, a caregiver and mathematician, spends most of time at home analyzing decisions in her life. Catherine ends her career as a caregiver when her father dies; she is left alone in large drafty house with all these notebooks as a reminder of what was. Catherine enjoys her champagne while talking to her father on porch, during her birthday, September 4. She spends most of her time on that porch, probably because of all the fond memories and discussions she had with her father before he died.