Character List
John -
Alternately protagonist and antagonist, John is a white, male, forty-something college professor, latest in the long line of dead white males professors are always talking about. He is a member of the ruling class, about to be granted tenure at the college and situated in a very nice cloud of upper-middle class security. This makes him pompous and inherently oppressive, but he is good at heart, with an honest desire to express his thoughts (which he often thinks quite a bit of) to his students.
Carol -
Carol is a student, probably undergraduate, who, despite attending an institution of higher learning, feels oppressed to an extent that denies her full education. She is seemingly incapable of synthesis, often consulting her notes to get the facts straight but rarely coming up with an original idea of her own. Her charges ultimately belie a desire for power, a political agenda and an unexplained amount of anger; she keeps herself well guarded in exchanges with John, leaving the audience mostly clueless regarding her motivations.
Jerry -
Jerry never appears in the play, but he plays a major role as John's friend, confidant, and liaison. He seems to stick by John—it is he who calls to share the news of the criminal charges.
Grace -
Grace is John's wife, who never appears in the play. Their exchanges on the telephone are civil but not mushy, and though they fight, he does care for her and expresses his love for her several times. It is one nickname for Grace, "baby," which ostensibly sparks the play's final attack.
