Who is Randolph?

Randolph Applewhite is an amateur stage director who is scatterbrained and somewhat self-centered. During the novel, Randolph has been hired to direct a community theatre performance of The Sound of Music, which he treats as if it were a multi-million dollar Broadway production. After a series of conceited, selfish, and self-centered directorial decisions that ultimately preserve Randolph's artistic integrity, his production of The Sound of Music is cancelled and he is forced to beg his family for help once again, this time to save the play. E.D. comes up with the idea to transform the family barn into a theatre, thus saving the production and earning it national acclaim.