Characters

About the Characters

The Men

Santiago - The Guilty Gambler - Santiago owns the cigar factory, but is giving shares to his half brother, Cheché, to pay off his debt. He resists modernizing the factory. However, Santiago's greatest concern is that he may have ruined his relationship with his wife, Ofelia.

Cheché - The Unstable Half-Brother - Cheché is Santiago's half brother. He is a frustrated man, who increasingly loses control throughout the play. He tries to modernize the cigar factory. He is also haunted by the fact that his wife left him for another man.

Palomo - The Roaming Husband - Palomo is the most interesting and difficult character in the show, in part because the role is understated. Palomo's wife, Conchita, initiates an affair with Juan Julian because she knows Palomo has a lover, and she believes he doesn't love her anymore. As Conchita's affair progresses, Palomo's passion for Conchita reignites; rather than becoming jealous, he becomes intrigued.

Juan Julian - The Lector - The lector is at the center of the events that drive the play not so much because he does a lot, but because of the way people react to him. Handsome and self-confident, his arrival and his choice of Anna Karenina are the catalysts for all the action of the play. Whoever is cast in this role must be willing to play an intimate love scene with the actress playing the role of Conchita.

Eliades - The Bookie - Eliades is a bit part, appearing only in the first scene. He collects be wagers on the cock fights. This role may be gender-bent

The Women

Ofelia - The Matriarch - Ofelia is married to Santiago and is a strong presence at the factory. She is in charge when Santiago is not around, and actually, even when he is around. She is the most mature and settled of the three women.

Conchita - The Introspective Adventurer - After coming to terms with the fact that her husband has taken a lover, Conchita embarks on an affair with Juan Julian to relive her senses and help her make sense of her life and self-worth. The actress playing this role must feel comfortable playing intimate sensual scene with the actor playing Juan Julian.

Marela - The Innocent - Marela is the most comic character of the play because of her naivite and imagination. However, hers is the one story that does not have a happy ending. Enamored of Juan Julian, she feels the brunt of Cheché's frustration

Note on ages and relationships of the characters: Although the script calls for Santiago and Ofelia to be the parents of Conchita and Marela, I intend to change these relationships to more age-appropriate roles for college students. For example, in all likelihood, Ofelia and Marela will be portrayed as sisters rather than mother and daughter.