In addition to the stage manager, the two characters who appear first at the opening of act ii are

howie newsome and doc gibbs
howie newsome and si crowell
howie newsome and joe crowell
howie newsome and mrs. webb

The writer's latest book examines the effects of propaganda and disinformation during the cold war.

As the boys sleep, military airplanes battle fiercely above the island. none of the boys sees the explosions and flashes in the clouds because the twins sam and eric, who were supposed to watch the signal fire, have fallen asleep. during the battle, a parachutist drifts down from the sky onto the island, dead.