The Lady in Brown speaks the opening and closing lines of the performance, framing the entire piece. She identifies herself as being from outside Chicago and sets the urgent, searching tone of the work. She presents the initial plea for someone to sing a Black girl's song, establishing the collective goal of reclaiming their voices.

The Lady in Yellow introduces herself as being from outside Detroit. She often carries pieces that celebrate youthful exuberance and transitions, such as the joyful memories of graduation night. Her performances bring a lighthearted, energetic quality to the stage before the subjects turn to heavier matters of adulthood.

Representing an area outside Manhattan, The Lady in Blue shares stories of shifting cultural identities and harsh urban realities. She delivers pieces about dancing to Afro-Latin music, learning to love jazz, and dealing with the suffocating environment of Harlem. She also takes on heavy emotional lifting, performing the harrowing monologue about an undisclosed abortion.

Hailing from outside Baltimore, The Lady in Red delivers some of the most assertive and tragic narratives in the performance. She voices the unapologetic end to an unfulfilling romance and later performs the devastating story of Crystal and Beau Willie Brown. She also narrates the story of a woman using her sexuality to hold power over men.

The Lady in Green identifies herself as being from outside San Francisco. She actively participates in the physical storytelling, most notably dancing the role of Sechita while another woman speaks. She later performs a vibrant, empowering monologue about reclaiming her unique personal belongings and self-worth from a thief or ex-lover.

Introducing herself as being from outside Houston, The Lady in Purple acts as a storyteller and supportive figure. She delivers the spoken poetry for the Sechita performance and narrates the piece about three friends who maintain their bond despite a man trying to divide them. She provides vocal context for the physical actions happening on stage.

The Lady in Orange is from outside St. Louis. She contributes heavily to the suite of poems about heartbreak and emotional recovery. She actively moves through the audience space to engage viewers directly, bringing an intimate urgency to her reflections on hiding her pain to avoid appearing pitiable.

Crystal is a tenderhearted young woman who began a relationship with Beau Willie Brown when she was only thirteen years old. She attempts to create a safe home in a fifth-floor apartment for her two children but faces constant danger from Beau's aggressive behavior. Her innocence and willingness to hear him out make her vulnerable to his manipulation.

Beau Willie is a military veteran who returned from the Vietnam War with severe post-traumatic stress. He numbs his psychological pain with alcohol and drugs while fighting systemic barriers like remedial classes and police harassment. His profound frustrations manifest as violent, terrifying abuse directed at his partner and children.

Kwame is the young son of Crystal and Beau Willie Brown. He lives in a fifth-floor apartment with his mother and sibling, caught in the middle of his parents' dangerous dynamic. His presence is used by his father as leverage against his mother.

Sechita is an exotic dancer working in a run-down carnival touring the southern United States. Despite the grimy conditions of her environment, she presents herself with the dignity of an ancient goddess. She uses her sensuality to command respect and money from the crowds, maintaining a rigid, immobile expression to protect her inner self.

Though a deceased historical figure, Toussaint functions as an imaginary friend and revolutionary inspiration for a young Black girl in 1955. As a leader of the Haitian Revolution, he represents the possibilities of freedom and self-determination, giving the girl the courage to imagine a world outside her segregated reality.

Toussaint is a confident real-life boy living in 1955 St. Louis. He projects a brave, tough demeanor, boasting that he does not take disrespect from white people. His bravery impresses the young runaway, serving as a real-world anchor for her revolutionary dreams and inviting her back into childhood play.