Shelley Sheridan (played by Alyssa Milano) is a protagonist in Dance 'Til Dawn.
Shelley Sheridan is a popular senior who breaks up with Kevin McCrea before the prom because she refuses to sleep with him. Unable to find another date, she hides at a cinema, where Dan Lefcourt helps her avoid classmates. She discovers his kindness, and they later announce that they are going steady. Kevin McCrea (played by Brian Bloom) appears in Dance 'Til Dawn.
Kevin McCrea is Shelley's jock boyfriend at the start of the story. After their breakup, he invites Angela Strull to the prom based on a false rumor, initially hoping to have sex with her. Angela challenges his motives, but Kevin eventually admits that he genuinely likes her and defends her honor. Patrice Johnson (played by Christina Applegate) appears in Dance 'Til Dawn.
Patrice Johnson is one of Herbert Hoover High School's most popular girls and the organizer of the senior prom. She expects to become prom queen because Shelley is absent, while arranging an all-night celebration with Roger. Her confidence is challenged when Angela arrives and wins the title instead. Roger (played by Matthew Perry) appears in Dance 'Til Dawn.
Roger is Patrice Johnson's boyfriend and accompanies her through her plans for the prom night. Patrice keeps him on a short string while arranging an all-night celebration, showing that their relationship is shaped by her control and social ambitions. He is connected primarily to Patrice's prom-queen storyline. Angela Strull (played by Tracey Gold) appears in Dance 'Til Dawn.
Angela Strull is an unpopular student who is invited to the prom by Kevin McCrea after a misleading rumor about her. She is delighted at first, but later confronts Kevin when she realizes his original motives. After becoming prom queen, Angela gains confidence and chooses art school in Italy over Bible college. Margaret (played by Tempestt Bledsoe) appears in Dance 'Til Dawn.
Margaret is Angela Strull's friend and initially supports Angela's chance to attend the prom with Kevin McCrea. She later becomes suspicious of Kevin's intentions, forcing him to try to convince her that his motives are honorable. Her skepticism helps expose the tension between Kevin's original plan and Angela's expectations. Ruth Strull (played by Edie McClurg) appears in Dance 'Til Dawn.
Ed Strull (played by Kelsey Grammer) appears in Dance 'Til Dawn.
Ed Strull is Angela Strull's overprotective, religiously fanatic father and works as a pharmacist. He distrusts the situation between Angela and Kevin McCrea and follows the pair throughout the night. His attempt to monitor them ultimately causes him to be arrested, making him a major obstacle in Angela's prom storyline.
Dance 'Til Dawn (1988) character relationship network mapped with AI analysis. Explore the connections, alliances, and conflicts between characters.
Characters
Shelley Sheridan
(played by Alyssa Milano) — protagonist
Shelley Sheridan is a popular senior who breaks up with Kevin McCrea before the prom because she refuses to sleep with him. Unable to find another date, she hides at a cinema, where Dan Lefcourt helps...
Kevin McCrea
(played by Brian Bloom) — supporting
Kevin McCrea is Shelley's jock boyfriend at the start of the story. After their breakup, he invites Angela Strull to the prom based on a false rumor, initially hoping to have sex with her. Angela chal...
Patrice Johnson
(played by Christina Applegate) — supporting
Patrice Johnson is one of Herbert Hoover High School's most popular girls and the organizer of the senior prom. She expects to become prom queen because Shelley is absent, while arranging an all-night...
Roger
(played by Matthew Perry) — supporting
Roger is Patrice Johnson's boyfriend and accompanies her through her plans for the prom night. Patrice keeps him on a short string while arranging an all-night celebration, showing that their relation...
Angela Strull
(played by Tracey Gold) — supporting
Angela Strull is an unpopular student who is invited to the prom by Kevin McCrea after a misleading rumor about her. She is delighted at first, but later confronts Kevin when she realizes his original...
Margaret
(played by Tempestt Bledsoe) — supporting
Margaret is Angela Strull's friend and initially supports Angela's chance to attend the prom with Kevin McCrea. She later becomes suspicious of Kevin's intentions, forcing him to try to convince her t...
Ruth Strull
(played by Edie McClurg) — supporting
Ed Strull
(played by Kelsey Grammer) — supporting
Ed Strull is Angela Strull's overprotective, religiously fanatic father and works as a pharmacist. He distrusts the situation between Angela and Kevin McCrea and follows the pair throughout the night....
Dan Lefcourt
(played by Chris Young) — supporting
Dan Lefcourt is one of the school's geeks who avoids the prom after lying to his father about attending because he could not get a date. At the cinema, he helps Shelley Sheridan evade classmates, and...
Jack Lefcourt
(played by Alan Thicke) — supporting
Jack Lefcourt is Dan Lefcourt's father. Dan tells him that he is going to the prom because he wants to hide his low social status at school and the fact that he has no date. Jack is therefore connecte...
Canonical Relationships
Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.
Patrice Johnson → Roger
(Romantic Partners)
Patrice arranges an all-night celebration with her boyfriend Roger, whom she keeps on a short string.
Ed Strull → Ruth Strull
(Family Married Parents)
Angela learns that her parents had to get married because they conceived her while they were high school students.
Angela Strull → Ruth Strull
(Family Daughter And Mother)
At Hud's, Angela learns that her parents had to marry after conceiving her while they were high school students.
Angela Strull → Ed Strull
(Family Daughter And Father)
Ed is identified as Angela's overprotective father and follows Angela and Kevin throughout the night.
Kevin McCrea → Angela Strull
(Romantic Prom Dates)
After hearing a false story about Angela, Kevin invites her to the prom, and Angela is delighted to go with him.
Dan Lefcourt → Jack Lefcourt
(Family Son And Father)
Dan lies to his father Jack by saying that he is going to the prom because he does not want Jack to know he could not get a date.
Shelley Sheridan → Dan Lefcourt
(Romantic Partners)
After meeting at the cinema and discovering Dan's kindness, Shelley announces at Hud's that they are now going steady and kisses him.
Shelley Sheridan → Kevin McCrea
(Romantic Former Lovers)
The plot states that Shelley and her jock boyfriend Kevin break up just before the prom because Shelley refuses to sleep with him.
Story Dynamics
Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.
Patrice Johnson → Shelley Sheridan
(Conflict Prom Rivals)
Patrice expects to be named prom queen because Shelley, her only real competition, does not attend the prom.
Ed Strull → Kevin McCrea
(Conflict Protective Opposition)
Ed tries to follow Angela and Kevin all night to supervise them, eventually being arrested for his efforts.
Kevin McCrea → Margaret
(Conflict Adversarial Persuasion)
Kevin has to hoodwink Margaret into believing that his intentions toward Angela are honorable.
Angela Strull → Margaret
(Social Close Friends)
Margaret is initially supportive of Angela's date with Kevin but later becomes skeptical of Kevin's motives.
Story Analysis
A prom-night ensemble story about social status, romantic assumptions, personal boundaries, and unexpected independence.
Plot Progression
Prom Day Fractures
Unexpected Cinema Connection
The Risky New Date
Angela Takes The Crown
Dawn Of Independence
Directed by Paul Schneider
Dance 'Til Dawn (1988) · 6/10 · comedy, family, tv-movie
