Larry Keevil
Sally Jay’s old summer-theater acquaintance, whose experimental productions and romantic intensity hide theft, violence, and exploitation.
To build influence and opportunity through theater while keeping Sally, Lila, and others available to schemes that benefit him.
The book
At a glance
- Actor and aspiring theatrical director
- Sally’s acquaintance from American summer theater
- Sally’s dangerous romantic fixation
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeLarry attracts Sally because he appears to unite romance, rebellion, and theatrical ambition. He is as skilled at staging himself offstage as he is at organizing a production.
The plot steadily replaces Sally’s fantasy of him with evidence about how he treats women when they no longer serve his plans.
How the book draws them
- Young American theater manHe and Sally know each other from summer stock.
- Intense expressionAmbition gives him a charged presence.
- Slightly disheveledHis clothes suggest rehearsal rather than polish.
- Controlled charmHe can look exciting before he looks dangerous.
- Close engraved bustScript pages are omitted under the prop-free portrait standard.
- Muted rust accentThe color carries energy without glamour.
Larry steals Sally’s passport for illegal use and tries to exploit her through Baxter. After Sally sees him assault Lila, she leaves him; he later confesses to the passport theft.
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