Erik Blake

Sixty-year-old Erik Blake is the play’s central character and protagonist: the play begins with him and ends with him, and the action between is in many ways primarily defined by his actions and reactions. The key point to note about this character is that the most defining aspect of his life and identity, as the play begins and throughout the narrative, is not revealed until close to the play’s climax: he has recently lost his job as a result of having had an affair with a co-worker. He has found a new job, and he says that he and Deirdre have met with a priest for some counseling, but his new situation (and the consequences of his choices) are clearly troubling him right from the play’s beginning.

Throughout the play, and leading up to the eventual, ultimate revelation of his truth, everything that Erik...