Pearl Cunningham
Widowed, mother to a teenage daughter and working as a barmaid, Pearl finds that her main problem is her inability to comprehend the full implications of layoff season. She’s got Olive trying to set her up with Barney and while conflicted about Barney in particular, she longs for a marriage that will allow her to quit working and lead more proper domesticated sort of life.
Olive Leech
Olive is closing in 40 way too fast and the brakes are screeching. She still lives with her mother and she works as a barmaid. While occasionally cynical, she is not sardonic about her state of life. What does bug her, however, is Pearl’s inability to realize just what a magical gift the layoff season is. Later, however, she will become really, really bugged by her lover Roo’s abrupt decision to propose.
Bubba Ryan
Despite the name, Bubba is actually a young woman. Somewhat shy, she does see the magic of layoff season though she has yet to actually enjoy the magic personally. That opportunity looks likely to come with the arrival of Johnnie Dowd.
Roo Webber
Olive’s lover, Roo, is a sugarcane cutting boss finding himself on hard times that results in a conflict with Johnnie Dowd before quitting, taking off for the city and landing a job as a painter. A job he feel is unworthy of him. The magic of layoff season for Olive is Roo’s return; for Roo, the relationship with Olive is just part of the layoff.
Barney Ibbot
Barney is Roo’s best friend and a fellow sugarcane cutter. Aging, drinking and growing wider, he retains the confidence, but not quite the looks that have allowed him to be a ladies’ man. So what’s an aging Lothario to do when the partners become few and far between? Tell old true stories and make up new phony ones.
Johnnie Dowd
Roo’s rival sugarcane cutter who is younger, stronger and faster. His appearance is preceded by his reputation and that reputation is entirely the word of Roo. The reality turns out to be significantly different, but then again so is the reality that Roo and Barney led him to think was much more magical than it really is. Nevertheless, he has Bubba the minute he asks her what her real name is.
