A Dramaturgical Resource by Brooklyn Bullard and Berkli Smith
Characters and Pronunciations
Wendla Bergman (VEND-la): A sweet, but naive young girl who is trapped in her family’s unwillingness to teach her about the adult world, but with every passing day, she grows bolder and more curious about her body. Both vulnerable and a willing participant in her evolution.
Melchior Gabor (MEL-ke-or): A headstrong, smart and charismatic schoolboy. He knows much more than the others because of what he reads in books and is able to see the corruption in society. His radical points of view about most things are correct but misunderstood. He falls in love with Wendla.
Moritz Stiefel (MO-rits): Melchior’s intense and nervous best friend. He has an overwhelming confusion relating to sexual feelings, which seems comedic at first, but quickly develops into a serious issue for him. The system has failed him. Highly sensitive and aware of his inability to fit into the system. Feels like a failure. One of the childhood four: Wendla, Melchior, Moritz and Ilse.
Ilse Neumann (ILL-sah): Beautiful and mature looking. A misguided young girl who runs away from an abusive home to live in an artists’ colony. Kind and resilient while also broken and stuck in a cycle of abuse. There is a strong emotional connection between Ilse and Moritz; perhaps in another life they could have been happy together.
Martha Bessell: One of Wendla’s friends who is abused by her father, and she keeps the worst of the abuse to herself. She has a crush on Moritz, and is chastised by the other girls for it. Best friend of Anna and protective of her.
Anna: A kind school girl and Martha’s best friend. She is more aware of injustice than the other girls and recognizes that what happens to Wendla is wrong. Has a secret crush on Martha.
Thea: A confrontational school girl and Wendla’s best friend. Outwardly believes the adults but secretly questions the blind faith demanded of her. Does not want to rock the boat. Mistrusts Hanschen.
Hänschen Rilow (HAN-shen): A cunning and attractive schoolboy, who manipulates the other students, especially Ernst, whom he seduces. Like Melchior, he also appears to be very intelligent, but uses his knowledge in favor of the system.
Ernst Röbel (URN-st): A sweet and naive classmate. He is Hänschen’s love interest.
Georg Zirschnitz (G-eh-oh-r-k): A hormonal schoolboy who lusts after his older, busty piano teacher.
Otto Lämmermeier: Another schoolboy who has a disturbing dream about his mother.
Melchior Gabor (MEL-ke-or): A headstrong, smart and charismatic schoolboy. He knows much more than the others because of what he reads in books and is able to see the corruption in society. His radical points of view about most things are correct but misunderstood. He falls in love with Wendla.
Moritz Stiefel (MO-rits): Melchior’s intense and nervous best friend. He has an overwhelming confusion relating to sexual feelings, which seems comedic at first, but quickly develops into a serious issue for him. The system has failed him. Highly sensitive and aware of his inability to fit into the system. Feels like a failure. One of the childhood four: Wendla, Melchior, Moritz and Ilse.
Ilse Neumann (ILL-sah): Beautiful and mature looking. A misguided young girl who runs away from an abusive home to live in an artists’ colony. Kind and resilient while also broken and stuck in a cycle of abuse. There is a strong emotional connection between Ilse and Moritz; perhaps in another life they could have been happy together.
Martha Bessell: One of Wendla’s friends who is abused by her father, and she keeps the worst of the abuse to herself. She has a crush on Moritz, and is chastised by the other girls for it. Best friend of Anna and protective of her.
Anna: A kind school girl and Martha’s best friend. She is more aware of injustice than the other girls and recognizes that what happens to Wendla is wrong. Has a secret crush on Martha.
Thea: A confrontational school girl and Wendla’s best friend. Outwardly believes the adults but secretly questions the blind faith demanded of her. Does not want to rock the boat. Mistrusts Hanschen.
Hänschen Rilow (HAN-shen): A cunning and attractive schoolboy, who manipulates the other students, especially Ernst, whom he seduces. Like Melchior, he also appears to be very intelligent, but uses his knowledge in favor of the system.
Ernst Röbel (URN-st): A sweet and naive classmate. He is Hänschen’s love interest.
Georg Zirschnitz (G-eh-oh-r-k): A hormonal schoolboy who lusts after his older, busty piano teacher.
Otto Lämmermeier: Another schoolboy who has a disturbing dream about his mother.
More Pronunciations:
By: BB