"Once Upon Love" (A Modern "Cyrano de Bergerac" story)

Dramatis Personae

HAYDEN BERGER (Cyrano)- Plain-looking, well-respected, but more in the infamous sense. Mother was an actress, father was a famous orator, very prestigious family, very rich. Hayden recently achieved his Master's in Fine Arts, and he is on his third year of getting a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts, so he's been at the college for several years. Hayden's "big nose" is his reputation. It "goes before" him wherever he goes, and it is a deterrent for him pursuing the relationship with the girl he loves, because he is known as a hard, ruthless perfectionist.

MADISON "MADI" ROBBINS (Roxanne)- Quiet-type girl. Hayden's love interest. Very beautiful and well-liked, nonetheless. Her popularity makes it hard for Hayden to reconcile himself to revealing his love, because he is ashamed of his reputation as arrogant, and worried that if he makes his love for Madi known, it will appear that he always wants the best for himself and thinks that he can always get the best for himself because of his prestige. Madi is a former foster kid, and she is living just off-campus with a 38-year-old widow, Donna Steele. She is studying on a pay-per-credit basis, and works in the campus library to pay for her classes. She's an aspiring playwright, who is insecure in her abilities.

MATT PUCKER (De Guiche)- Popular in the Drama department at school. VERY arrogant and rich. Wants Madi for himself. Knows of her literary aspirations, and is always trying to get her to write something for the drama department. In spite of wanting her to write it, he has his own specific parameters: it must be a romance, and it must star him in the lead male role, and she must be in the lead female role. "Puck" (as he likes to be called) is only popular on account of his money, not his character. Hates Hayden, and pays guys to make fun of him.

CHRISTOPHER NEWVILLE (Christian De Neuvillette)- Madi and he collide in the library, and both fall in love without knowing each other. Only been at Ballard College for a few months, but about Madi's age. Madi entered college young, but since she has to work for so long to pay for each credit, she has been there for quite a while. Chris is extremely shy around girls, and not as quick-witted as Hayden, but he is very good at writing, and in comfortable situations, he is very brave.

NED REGAN (Ragueneau)- Parents are both chefs, so he knows a lot about cooking and food. However, he would rather be a poet than a chef. He convinced his parents that Ballard has a culinary program, and that he needs to get his pre-reqs at Ballard before transferring to the prestigious culinary Institute they wanted to send him to, but in reality, he's doing much the same thing as Madi, working in the kitchen to pay for his degree. Idolizes Hayden. He's mostly a plot-reveal type character, and comic-relief.

MONTREAL LA FLEUR (Montfleury)- Arrogant buffoon of an actor. Acts as his own agent in the college, billing himself as "the showstopper." Took over the Drama department when Hayden stepped down to focus more on literature. Really can't act at all, and Hayden hates him.

LEE BRITON (Le Bret)- In charge of the theater at Ballard. Very close friend of Hayden. Serves as his voice of counsel sometimes. Doesn't like the way Hayden and others often mess up his theater when Hayden reacts to a bad show/acting/singing.

BERGERIACS— Literature/drama club at Ballard. Hayden is not the leader, though he is held in high regard and decides its members. Matt bought his way into the Bergeriacs, not because he likes poetry (he can't write at all), but because the Bergeriacs meet regularly in the library where Madi works, and the drama club cannot.

BALLARD COLLEGE OF THE ARTS—College where all these people attend. In Albany, New York. Moderately prestigious. Poets and dramatists are among the most respected at the college, but dramatists have lost their respect since Monty took over that department. Matt resents this, and thinks that it would be better if he were in charge.