BJJ is a fictionalized version of the playwright who decides to adapt a 19th-century melodrama to cope with mild depression. When he cannot find white actors willing to perform the heavily racist material, he applies whiteface makeup and plays the lead roles himself. He acts as the narrator, creator, and central performer of the play-within-the-play.

An unnamed manifestation of Dion Boucicault, the original 19th-century author of *The Octoroon*. He appears as a ghost of theater history who has lost his fame. He originally clashes with BJJ in a shouting match but eventually cooperates, stepping in to perform the roles of Wahnotee and Lafouche.

George is the young romantic hero of the melodrama who inherits the financially ruined Terrebonne estate from his late uncle. He brings a novel camera with a self-developing solution to the plantation. He quickly becomes enamored with Zoe, completely unaware of her racial heritage.

The villainous former overseer of Terrebonne who now owns half the estate due to the previous owner's gambling debts. He harbors intense resentment toward the Peyton family for treating him as socially inferior. He aims to buy the entire property at auction and forcefully take Zoe as his mistress.

A young woman raised and educated by the Peyton family as if she were a wealthy white lady. She carries the secret that she is technically an octoroon and therefore legally enslaved due to a lien on the property. She feels deeply conflicted about her identity and her growing feelings for George.

A wealthy neighbor and heiress who visits the Terrebonne plantation. She performs an exaggerated version of delicate Southern womanhood. She hopes to marry George and use her massive fortune to save his estate from foreclosure.

A stage assistant whose racial identity is ambiguously described as Indian. He complains about the lack of proper actors and budget. To keep the production moving, he is tasked with performing the roles of the enslaved characters Pete and Paul.

An enslaved woman working at Terrebonne who speaks in contemporary vernacular when out of earshot of white characters. She observes the harsh realities of plantation life and refuses to romanticize the behavior of her enslavers.

An enslaved woman who closely observes the dynamics of the Peyton family. She works alongside Minnie to survive the daily realities of the plantation while exchanging rumors about the family's financial ruin.

An older enslaved man who performs a highly exaggerated, folksy caricature of docility for the enslavers. Behind closed doors, he is short-tempered and frequently scolds the other enslaved workers to maintain order.

A young enslaved boy who receives favorable treatment from the Peyton family and avoids hard labor. He is deeply fascinated by George's new photography equipment and constantly seeks attention.

An Indigenous man who cares for Paul like a surrogate son. He communicates in a linguistic jumble that only Paul understands and harbors a deep superstition regarding George's camera.

A heavily pregnant enslaved woman at Terrebonne. She frequently talks about running away, drawing skepticism and mild annoyance from Minnie and Dido, who view her as acting superior.

An auctioneer hired to manage the liquidation of the Terrebonne property. He complains about the disorganized paperwork and the missing enslaved workers who have fled the plantation.

The captain of a local fishing steamboat. He attends the estate auction with the intention of purchasing enslaved workers to staff his vessel.

George's deceased uncle and the former enslaver of Terrebonne. His severe gambling addiction and poor financial management left the estate bankrupt and vulnerable to McClosky's schemes. He fathered Zoe with an enslaved woman.

The bedridden widow of Judge Peyton. She is dying of grief following her husband's death and relies on George to save the plantation.

A life-sized, silent rabbit figure drawn from African folklore. He wanders through the scenes without interacting with the other characters, simply staring at the audience and breaking the theatrical illusion.