Russ Stoller
Seen in the beginning of the first act in the play, Russ Stoller is a white man in his forties. Living in the all-white Clybourne Park neighborhood, Russ is the father of Kenneth, who killed himself upon returning home from battle in the Korean War. Although he is one of the main characters, Russ is not necessarily a protagonist in the play. Russ' wife is Bev, who, after the death of her son, starts drifting apart from Russ.
In the play, Russ is seen as the owner of a house he is selling in the Clybourne Park neighborhood. His neighbor Karl attempts to convince him not to sell the house, because a black family is planning on moving in after he moves out. However, the two break into a fight, Russ accusing Karl that he won't "save" the neighborhood from African Americans moving in for someone that didn't welcome his now dead son home.
Bev Stoller
Like Russ, Bev Soller is in her forties. A white woman, she is married to Russ and was the mother of Kenneth. Trying to keep her relationship with Russ going, Bev constantly tries to cheer him up, like when she invites over the reverend early in the first act. Socializing with friends often, she doesn’t want to leave the neighborhood. Although she claims to be open-minded about the idea of racial integration in society, she is unintentionally offensive to her African American maid, Francine, on several occasions.
Kenneth Stoller
Kenneth was a young white male that was a veteran of the Korean War. However, after coming home, he committed suicide because, during the war, he had murdered innocent civilians. The death of Kenneth causes the marriage of Bev and Russ to fall apart.
Francine
Of African American descent, Francine is a housemaid for Bev and Russ Stoller. She seems to very kind to everyone, but the fact that she is black does not stop people from segregating against her.
Karl Linder
In his thirties, white Karl Linder is the neighbor of Bev and Russ. He is the one that finds out the family that bought their house is black, and pays a visit to Russ to try to convince him not to sell. Of all of the characters in the play, Karl seems to be the most openly racist.
Lena
Lena is a black woman married to Kevin, living in Clybourne Park in the second act of the play, set fifty years later in 2009. Lena is selling her house, but is sad to see it go because she feels things are turning back into like what they were fifty years ago - no African Americans living in the neighborhood. She tries to prevent Steve and his wife from renovating the house once they buy it.
Kevin
Kevin is a black man married to Lena. He does not play as big a role in the play as his wife does, but rushes to back her up when she is insulted because of her race.
Steve
Married to Lindsey, Steve is a white man that says quite a few racist things throughout the play. He doesn't seem to show much emotion, and cares little about what happens to people other than him. His role in the play is in purchasing the house in Clybourne Park from Lena and Kevin, and wanting to renovate it.
Lindsey
The wife of Steve, Lindsey is pregnant and expecting a child. She supports the decision to renovate the house once she purchases it with her husband, but doesn't necessarily contend with the racist things her husband says.
Dan
Dan is a contractor who we see near the end of the play. Digging in the back yard of the home, he finds a buried chest with a suicide note written by Kenneth. This brings the play back to a scene where Kenneth is still alive, and writing the note.
