Lemml begins as a humble tailor from the small town of Balut who has never seen a play before. After encountering Sholem Asch's script, he finds his calling as a devoted stage manager. He speaks Yiddish fluently and with great expression, though he struggles with other languages, which causes him significant frustration. As a gay man, he views the central romance of the play as deeply personal and pure.

Chana is the youngest woman in Lemml's theatrical troupe. As the ingenue, she takes on the youthful and romantic female roles throughout the historical narrative. Her primary portrayals include the playwright's wife, Madje Asch, as well as the various actresses who step into the role of the young daughter Rifkele over the decades.

Avram is the youngest male actor in the stage troupe. He portrays several key historical figures who shape the trajectory of the production. Most notably, he takes on the central role of the passionate young playwright, Sholem Asch, driving the artistic creation of the controversial script.

Halina is a mid-career actress in the traveling troupe. She is tasked with portraying the women who play Manke, the complex sex worker at the heart of the play's central romance. Through her performances, she embodies actresses of varying backgrounds, including the German star Freida Niemann and the passionate Dorothee.

Mendel is a middle-aged actor within Lemml's ensemble. He steps into the shoes of several authoritative and critical historical figures, bringing to life the skeptical writer Nakhmen, the pragmatic Broadway producer Harry Weinberger, and the conservative Rabbi Joseph Silverman.

Vera is one of the oldest and most seasoned members of the acting troupe. She portrays older, often maternal figures in the historical narrative. Her primary roles include the veteran Polish-accented actress Esther Stockton, the older iterations of Madje Asch, and Rifkele's mother, Sarah.

Otto serves as the older male counterpart in the theatrical ensemble. He frequently takes on patriarchal and commanding roles, acting as the renowned European stage star Rudolph Schildkraut, the brothel-owning patriarch Yekel, and the older, disillusioned version of playwright Sholem Asch.

Sholem is a young Polish-Jewish writer who pens his debut Yiddish play, *The God of Vengeance*. Driven by a desire to depict Jewish people as flawed and complex rather than idealized, he creates a story that immediately sparks intense debate. He is fiercely dedicated to the Yiddish language and initially unwavering in his artistic vision despite heavy criticism from his peers.

Madje is Sholem's supportive and loving wife. She is the first person to read his manuscript and is deeply moved by its portrayal of a romantic relationship between two women. She proudly notes that some of the play's tender dialogue is lifted directly from her own intimate conversations with Sholem.

Dorothee is an actress cast in the role of Manke for the English-language productions of the play. She deeply admires the complex, flesh-and-blood women written into the script and views her performance as a profound personal and artistic expression, especially given her real-life romance with her co-star. She is ambitious enough to Anglicize her name and perform in a censored version of the text to reach Broadway.

Reina, who sometimes uses the Anglicized name Ruth, is an actress initially cast as Rifkele opposite Dorothee. She struggles to master the English pronunciation required for American audiences, which jeopardizes her position in the cast. She treasures the rare opportunity to openly express her genuine romantic love for Dorothee on a public stage.

Virginia is a young American actress hired to take over the role of Rifkele. Coming from a Christian background with no previous acting experience, she initially takes the part hoping to shock her parents. However, she quickly finds herself drawn into the emotional gravity of the production and develops a deep fascination with her scene partner.

Rudolph is a legendary actor who originates the controversial role of Yekel. A charismatic and ambitious performer, he becomes a driving force in bringing the play to stages across Europe and eventually to America, serving as an authoritative figure for the younger cast members.

Nakhmen is a writer and critic who acts as a gatekeeper for Yiddish literature. He strongly objects to Sholem's play, fearing that depicting a Jewish brothel owner will fuel dangerous prejudices and endanger their community.

Peretz is a highly influential Polish-Jewish playwright who hosts a respected literary gathering. As a protective community leader, he is horrified by the content of Sholem's script and urges him to burn it to protect their community from further marginalization.

Harry is the pragmatic producer working to bring the English translation of the play to Broadway. He constantly balances the artistic merits of the production against the intense public backlash, hate mail, and commercial pressures of the American theater industry, leading him to censor the script.

Rabbi Silverman is a prominent religious leader who actively works to support Jewish refugees but aggressively opposes Sholem's play. Believing the story validates dangerous stereotypes, he uses his authority to campaign against the production and reports it to the vice squad.

Esther is a veteran Polish actress who plays Rifkele's mother, Sarah, in the American productions. She possesses a cynical understanding of American audiences and frequently grows frustrated with the lack of experience shown by younger performers.

Freida is a legendary German actress cast as Manke in the initial Berlin production. She views playing a Jewish character as an exotic, scandalous artistic challenge and frequently expresses casual prejudices toward the Yiddish language and culture.

Elsa is a Jewish actress thrilled to be cast opposite the famous Freida Niemann in the Berlin production. She navigates the complex dynamics of performing her own culture for a secular, often prejudiced European audience.

Eugene is an acclaimed American playwright who encounters the production in New York. He deeply admires the hopeful, romantic vision of the original script and attempts to use his influence to support the cast when they face legal challenges.

John is a passionate young playwright who creates a new English translation of *The God of Vengeance*. He represents a younger generation of artists determined to keep the play's urgent moral questions alive for future audiences, despite the original creator's weariness.