Curtains & Cages
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Curtains & Cages is a slow-burn LGBTQ+ romance wrapped in psychological drama and fame’s unforgiving glare. Elián Voss, a beautiful but emotionally repressed actor trapped under his stepmother’s control, delivers a haunting audition that goes viral overnight. As the world begins to see him, a mysterious media mogul watches from the shadows, drawn to Elián’s pain and talent. Their lives collide in a web of fake dating, buried trauma, and dangerous obsession—where love might be the only thing real.
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MAIN CHARACTERS
ELIÁN VALE
- Role: Protagonist, dancer, truth-seeker
- Traits: Observant, emotionally guarded, fiercely loyal
- Arc: Begins as a performer haunted by Ava’s disappearance. Transforms into the architect of a rebellion against the Archivist’s surveillance empire.
- Key Relationships: Son of Marisol, stepson of Celeste, nephew of Mateo, stepbrother to Julien
CASSIAN RHYS
- Role: Director, Ava’s ex, co-conspirator
- Traits: Charismatic, guilt-ridden, obsessive
- Arc: Once the golden boy of the company, Cassian is unraveling under the weight of his past decisions. His journey is one of reckoning and redemption.
AVA VALE
- Role: Elián's biological sister, missing dancer, catalyst of the story
- Traits: Vulnerable, defiant, enigmatic
- Arc: Though absent, Ava’s presence drives the entire narrative. Her journal, footage, and final performance reveal a dancer who refused to be commodified.
THE ANTAGONIST.
The Archivist
- Role: Mysterious, masked figure; curator of surveillance
- Traits: Calculated, theatrical, omnipresent
- Arc: Turns art into control. Archives pain, edits reality, scripts finales for others.
ALLIES & TRUTH-SEEKERS
ISLA VALE
- Role: Ava’s and Elián's step- sister, whistleblower
- Traits: Sharp, strategic, emotionally armored
- Arc: Brings Ava’s hidden truth to light. Key to understanding the contracts, the surveillance, and the real finale.
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MARISOL VALE
- Role: Elián, Isla, Ava’s biological mother,vanished dancer
- Traits: Fierce, intuitive, protective
- Arc: Former dancer who tried to expose the surveillance system. Disappeared after a fire at the old theater.
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UNCLE MATEO
- Role: Elián’s estranged uncle, former stagehand
- Traits: Quiet, resourceful, loyal
- Arc: Took Elián in after Marisol vanished. Estranged after Elián joined the company. May have helped Marisol build the resistance.
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THE INSTITUTION
CELESTE MARCEAU
- Role: Elián’s stepmother, Vivienne’s sister, Juliene's mother
- Traits: Polished, calculating, emotionally distant
- Arc: Married Elián’s father after Marisol’s disappearance. Pushed Elián toward the spotlight, not the truth.
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JULIEN MARCEAU
- Role: Elián’s stepbrother (Celeste’s son)
- Traits: Charming, ambitious, morally gray
- Arc: Grew up in the theater world but became a producer. Resented Elián’s talent. May have leaked the footage to control the narrative.
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VIVIENNE MARCEAU
- Role: Studio head, former mentor
- Traits: Elegant, secretive, morally compromised
- Arc: Once a guiding force, now revealed to be complicit in the surveillance. Her motives remain unclear — protection or power?
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THE BOARD (UNNAMED)
- Role: Shadowy figures funding the Archivist’s network
- Traits:Powerful, untouchable,invisible (for now)
- Arc: Appear in Marisol’s journal as key players in the cover-up.
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MINOR & REFERENCED CHARACTERS
LUCA
- Role: Dancer who impersonated Ava in the “One Night Only” performance
- Traits: Fragile, manipulated, theatrical
- Arc: Delivered the chilling line: “You made me.” Possibly coerced by the Archivist.
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.M.
- Role: Alias used in a comment on Elián’s viral video
- Traits: Cryptic, protective
- Arc: Likely Uncle Mateo, signaling he’s watching and ready to help.
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