Captain von Trapp

Living... in Salzburg, Austria, just before the start of World War II. Unfortunately, it looks likely that Austria is close to invasion.

Profession... a military man with strict standards. Ever since his wife died, Captain von Trapp has treated his seven children much the same way he treats his soldiers: issuing orders and expecting precise obedience, even from his five-year-old daughter. When a free-spirited nun Maria comes to work as a nanny for the Captain, it's not too long before the two begin to butt heads.

Relationship Status… widowed. The Captain has shut himself off from everyone since his wife’s death. But the new woman he is seeing—Baroness Elsa Shraeder—seems to have opened his heart a bit. Captain von Trapp leaves frequently to go see her, as he says he’s “searching for a reason to stay” at his house. 

Challenge… reconnecting with his children, and his life. His children remind Captain von Trapp of his wife, and in order to push aside his pain, he keeps his distance. Maria’s zest for life and welcome presence seems to greatly help the children and, hopefully, will help him as well. 

Personality... distant, demanding, and taciturn. Cool and efficient, the Captain's not the type to show emotion—a quality that serves him well at work, but not well when dealing with his children. Whatever softness the Captain once possessed seems to have died with his wife. But Maria is nothing but persistent, and she refuses to let the von Trapp children grow up without a proper father. Underneath his hardened exterior lies a passionate and moral man who is just biding his time, searching for a reason to come out again.