Max Detweiler (Age to be played: 40-50)

• Character Description:
  A theatrical agent and First Secretary of Education and Culture – a personal friend of Von Trapp and a sort of uncle to his children. He is clever at his job, charming, witty, and quite pushy to get what he wants. He has a humorous personality. He enjoys the good life and those that live the good life.

• Historical Context:
  Characters like Max represent those who tried to accommodate the changing political reality through compromise and pragmatism.
  
  His sophisticated worldliness would be visible in speech patterns, references to Vienna's cultural life, and comfort with luxury.

• Acting Tips:

  • Use charm and humor to deflect tension in difficult situations.

  • Develop a physically relaxed, confident presence that contrasts with the Captain's rigidity.

  • Find moments to show genuine affection for the family beneath your opportunistic exterior.

  • Show subtle reactions to the political discussions and Nazi presence.

  • Create a playful, warm relationship with the children.

  • Explore Max's motivations: Is he truly looking out for the family, or is he primarily concerned with his own interests?

  • Max’s primary concern is to ensure his own comfort.

  • Max is the comic relief.

• Comments:

  • Max provides much of the comic relief in the show, but he also plays a significant role in the family's decisions.

  • The actor must balance Max's humor with his more self-serving tendencies.
    
    

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