The Father
One of the characters, he initially marries a peasant woman and has the son by her. After making her leave to live with another man, he misses the family that she creates and watches them grow up. He later meets his step-daughter in a brothel and almost has sex with her before the mother stops them. His reason for bringing the other characters to the theater is to find an author to finish their play.
The Mother
One of the characters, she is overly emotional and is the only character unaware of the fact that she is in fact only a character
The Step-Daughter
One of the characters, she is almost seduced by the father while working as a prostitute. She is anxious to play out the scenes in order to humiliate the father.
The Son
One of the characters, he is an aloof young man who is upset with his mother for abandoning him as a child. He tries to leave the theater but cannot go until his scene is played out.
The Boy
One of the characters, he is silent because he will die at the end of the play by shooting himself.
The Child
One of the characters, she is young an silent because she dies in the fountain at the end.
Madame Pace
A character who shows up only for her scene. She is in charge of a dress shop that also serves as a brothel, and she is the person for whom the step-daughter works.
The Manager
The director of the play that the theater company is rehearsing. He is willing to listen to the father and agrees to write down the play while the characters perform it for him.
Leading Lady
One of the actors, she is highly offended when the characters interrupt the rehearsal.
Leading Man
One of the actors.
Second Lady
One of the actors.
Juvenile Lead
One of the actors, he is interested in the step-daughter.
Property Man
The man who gets the various articles for each stage setting.
