Incident at Vichy Cast

French, a psychiatrist and officer in the French army who's been in combat; highly intelligent and perceptive as to the psychology and motivations of others; confident, forceful, decisive, and clear-eyed, quickly understands the nature of their situation and enemy, and doesn't suffer from some of the delusions that the others do.

An Austrian prince, Catholic; privileged, refined, well-educated, well-spoken, highly values art and beauty; apolitical, but deeply sensitive, compassionate; haunted by what's happening to the world, but feels entirely impotent to affect it despite his status; easily shaken, deflated.

French, an actor; bright-eyed and cheerful, with rather elegant posture, his once-stylish clothes are now frayed; a staunch optimist who cannot reconcile the current, horrific reality with his worldview, and finds it inconceivable that Germans, whom he’s experienced as deeply sensitive people, could commit the atrocities of which they’re accused.

French, a painter; bearded, unkempt, hungry, a bohemian with a contempt for the bourgeoisie; charged with the energy of fear, and it makes him seem aggressive, volatile, and restless, manifesting itself in outbursts of rueful humor and terror.

French, an electrician; poorly but cleanly dressed, with a certain muscular austerity in his manner; serious, thoughtful, rational, wants order, sense; an ardent socialist who sees his life as part of a larger class struggle.

French, a businessman and gentile; well-dressed, impatient, fastidious, stuffy, and entitled; brutally disdainful of the lower class, and eagerly deferential to those in power; Ferrand: French, the proprietor of the nearby café; a cheery, upbeat exterior belies his devastation at the occupation and the imminent demise of his employee, the Waiter;

Gypsy: A local beggar and possible thief who keeps to himself and speaks only in broken language; stands up to the group's judgments and accusations with vigor despite his station; Old Jew: French, a bearded, elderly man; he never speaks, but tightly clutches a bundle and waits in wordless horror for his fate; may also play one of a group of prisoners that enters at the end of the play.

French, a waiter at the nearby café, still wearing his apron; he has served the Major, is exceedingly proud of it, and eagerly tries to connect with the Major so he might be spared; servile, helpless;

French, a local boy from an impoverished family; an innocent, quiet, timid among these men, but one of the few with the courage to attempt an escape;

An officer in the German army who has been assigned to this post recently after being wounded in battle; wan but well-built, he walks with a slight limp, and there is something ill about him; he is horrified to be part of this operation but feels absolutely hopeless to stop it, and his crisis of conscience sends him into near-madness.

An officer in the French police force; an entirely willing and assured collaborator with the Germans and their primary liaison in this operation.

A member of the French police force; guards the room's only exit with no compassion for its prisoners; a dutiful instrument of those in authority.

German, a scientist who is heading the operation in Vichy to root out Jews for extermination and conducts it with absolute and ruthless certainty; enraged by any resistance to his mission.