GOLDIE GREENBERG -- Goldie is about 19 or 20. Although she is young and therefore has the usual insecurities of that age, she is intelligent, capable and confident.

ROCHEL ALTSTEIN GREENBERG - A native of Montreal. She is the put-together mother of a middle sized family. She works with her husband in his business, doing books and etc. The family is doing well financially, neither well-to-do nor needing. Rochel’s warmth to her family is reflected in the atmosphere of her home, where pictures are happily posted on the wall. 

BUBBIE MIRIAM TENKER ALTSTEIN - Born around 1943 to a family in hiding, Miriam came to Canada around 1949. Her husband had a business in the garment industry until he retired. Miriam worked with him as needed. Miriam comes from a Hungarian background, but her husband was born in Japan with the Mir yeshiva.

ADDIE WEINTRAUB - Addie is Goldie’s second cousin on her mother’s side. Her grandmother, Pearl, is Bubbie Miriam’s sister. She is grew up in Montreal but moved “in-town” when she got married a decent number of years ago. She is hosting Goldie while she is down and is part of the general community in which Penina and Yitty live. Addie’s personality is spunky yet conforming.  Addie can be played in an age range of mid 20s to late 30s, depending on the actress best suited to the role.

PENINA ROSENSTEIN - She is the mother of the Chassan. While Penina had a fairly typical in-town childhood, she married a man who was readt to her as a real talmid chacham and a top boy even though his family was baalei teshuva. She was fine with it, but at her wedding she suddenly discovered what it means for a bt family to have extended family. She does not advertise his family background but she does try to be nice to them. She is very close with her older brother’s widow, even though Yitty exasperates her a bit. Yitty has a strong influence on Penina. The chasson is her oldest. Her husband’s name is Eliyahu.

YITTY FORGUN GELTMAN - Yitty is the widow of Penina’s older brother. She comes across as strong and confident, but her opinionated attitude is really just a cover for significant insecurities. Yitty’s biases about Eliyahu’s family being BT are not subtle and it is a point of contention between her and Penina. Yitty was opposed to the shidduch. Fitting in and being right according to social norms is primary in her life.  Yitty has several married children, including Sari, who lives near by and is very similar to her mother. 

SARI GELTMAN PROFER - Sari is the daughter of Yitty, so the chassan’s cousin. She lives nearby and is very close to her mother, and therefore with her aunt. Sari has a similar personality as her mother but is often oblivious to over-stepping. Sari is the mother of three small children. Her husband is also from the neighborhood, so her mother-in-law is also local. 

BUBBIE ROSE (REIZEL STEINER ROSENSTEIN) - Born around 1943 to a family hiding in a remote mountain village, Rose and her family spent time in a DP camp before settling in Brooklyn. In Brooklyn, her family assimilated but Rose and her husband became observant when they were raising their own family. Their son, Eliyahu, became a top learner. 

YAFFA YOTAN – Yaffa is not related to anyone in the play. Yaffa and Yitty were classmates. She still lives in the neighborhood. Yaffa is a married frum lady who is known in town for being… quirky. Some say she had a nervous breakdown a few years after her youngest got married. She is sweet but a bit daft. Husband is Tuvia. She is related to Montreal via her aunt Alta Feiga Fleigman

ANGIE  – Angie is a want-to-be criminal. This is her first escapade into the world of counterfeit goods. She has partnered with Dolores, although it very much appears as if Dolores is a useless side-kick. Angie really wants to make this work and is very eager to impress “Charlie,” the real boss of the operation. Character was created a Brooklyn type accent in mind.

DOLORES – Dolores is Angie’s partner in crime. She appears to be a bit stupid, but in the end it is revealed that she is a wanted criminal mastermind who manipulates people like Angie into doing the dirty work. Character was created a Brooklyn type accent in mind.

SMALL ROLES 

TORI ROSEN - Tori is one of Bubbie Rose’s great-nieces. Her family followed a Conservative tradition. Tori is finishing university at McGill, where she met Andrew Lander, a young man who has become more observant. He brings her to the Greenbergs for a Shabbas meal. She is the daughter of Ashley’s brother Bill.

ASHLEY ROSEN BAKER- Ashley is Bubbie Rose’s niece, the cousin of Eliyahu, the aunt of the Tori, and the mother of DeeDee. She is not religious and tries to be respectful

DEEDEE BAKER - DeeDee is Ashley’s college age daughter, around 20 (but could be played older, like 25) She is not religious and tries to be respectful. 

MRS. WACHSTEL - A matronly woman, Mrs. Wachstel is on the more well-to-do side. As a personality, she is on the rather serious side. She has a kindly, if lofty, feel. She hosts newly-observant people often because she feels this is the right thing to do.

MRS. ITTA TAPUACH - An average frum woman. She should be contemporary in age to Mrs. Dvash. They can be played straight or comedic.

MRS. SPRINTZA DVASH - An average frum woman. She should be contemporary in age to Mrs. Tapuach. They can be played straight or comedic.

AGENT CHARLENE - An FBI agent.