Character Descriptions: 

• Tevye, Soloist, Lead Role, Male. A poor milkman with five daughters. A firm supporter of the traditions of his faith, he finds many of his convictions tested by the actions of his three oldest daughters. Requires powerful stage presence, strong singing voice, and the ability to establish and maintain rapport with the audience, as well as a strong sense of comedy and good chemistry with a wide variety of other actors. Strong dance skills.

• Golde, Soloist, Lead Role, Female. Sharp-tongued woman. Married to Tevye. Mother of 5 daughters: Tzeitel, Hodel, Chavva, Shprintze, and Bielke. Requires strong stage presence, strong singing voice, authoritative demeanor, good chemistry with Tevye and all 5 daughters, and the ability to show love and hurt masked behind anger.

• Tzeitel, Soloist, Lead Role, Female. Oldest daughter in the Tevye family. ~19yo. In love with Motel. She loves her childhood friend Motel and marries him, even though he's poor, begging her father not to force her to marry Lazar Wolf. Requires sympathetic presence, strong singing voice, passionate portrayal, convincing romantic chemistry with Motel. Must be able to make the audience "root for" their relationship.

• Hodel, Soloist, Lead Role, Female. Second daughter, ~17. Intelligent, passionate, and tenacious, she falls in love with Perchik and later joins him in Siberia. Requires strong stage presence, strong singing voice, convincing romantic chemistry with Perchik. Must show layers of warmth and heartache beneath exterior of stubbornness.

• Chava, Soloist, Lead Role, Female. Third daughter, ~15. A shy and bookish girl, who falls in love with Fyedka. Requires strong stage presence, strong singing voice, convincing romantic chemistry with Fyedka. Sympathetic. Must be able to show character development from shy/nervous to bold/committed.

• Motel Kamzoil, Soloist, Major Role, Male. A poor but hardworking tailor who loves, and later marries, Tzeitel. Requires strong stage presence, strong singing voice, convincing romantic chemistry with Tzeitel. Comedic timing. Ability to balance the stage with Tevye.

• Perchik, Soloist, Major Role, Male. A student and revolutionary who comes to Anatevka and falls in love with Hodel. He leaves for Kyiv, is arrested and exiled to Siberia. Requires strong stage presence, strong singing voice, charismatic and confident energy. Believably militant. Believable romantic chemistry with Hodel. This role involves some stage combat.

• Fyedka, Major Role, Male. A young Christian. He shares Chava's passion for reading and is outraged by the Russians' treatment of the Jews. Requires strong stage presence, strong singing voice, charismatic energy, believable romantic chemistry with Chava. Russian accent preferred.

• Lazar Wolf, Soloist, Major Role, Male. The wealthy village butcher. Widower of Fruma-Sarah. Attempts to arrange a marriage for himself to Tzeitel. Requires strong stage presence, strong singing voice, ability to balance the stage with Tevye. Strong dance skills.

• Yente, Soloist, Major Role, Female. The gossipy village matchmaker who matches Tzeitel and Lazar. Strong stage presence, ability to balance the stage with Golde. Gossipy energy, conspiratorial, intense.

• Grandma Tzeitel, Soloist, Mid Role, Female. Golde's dead grandmother, who rises from the grave in Tevye's "nightmare". This role may be doubled with "Woman 2". Requires strong stage presence, very spooky.

• Fruma-Sarah, Soloist, Mid Role, Female. Lazar Wolf's dead wife, who also rises from the grave in the "nightmare". This role may be doubled with "Woman 2". Requires strong stage presence, very spooky.

• Rabbi, Soloist, Mid Role, Male. The wise village leader. Requires strong stage presence, strong voice, ancient and wizened.

• Shprintze, Small Role, Female. The fourth daughter of Golde and Tevye. Requires good chemistry with other Tevye family members.

• Bielke, Small Role, Female. The fifth daughter of Golde and Tevye. Requires good chemistry with other Tevye family members.

• Constable, Mid Role, Male. The head of the local Russian police, a Christian. Clean-shaven. Requires good chemistry with Tevye. Requires ability to show complex emotions, especially reluctance and duty. Russian accent preferred.

• Sasha, Soloist, Mid Role, Male. Russian villager w/ lines who harrasses Chava and sings/dances during the tavern sequence. Clean-shaven. Requires strong dance ability, antagonistic chemistry with Chava and Fyedka. This role involves some stage combat. Russian accent preferred. 

• Russian #2, Small Role, Male. Russian villager, Sasha's friend, harrasses Chava and sings/dances in tavern. Clean-shaven. Requires strong dance ability, chemistry with Chava and Fyedka. This role involves some stage combat. Russian accent preferred.

• Shaindel, Soloist, Small Role, Female. Motel's Mother, Jewish villager. Requires engaging stage presence, lively energy.

• Woman #1, Small Role, Female. Jewish villager. Requires engaging stage presence, lively energy.

• Woman #2, Soloist, Small Role, Female. Jewish villager. Requires engaging stage presence, lively energy.

• Avram/Thom/John the Bagel-Seller/Maurice, Bit Role, Male. Jewish villager with lines. Requires engaging stage presence, lively energy.

• Mendel/Larry the Fish-Seller/Sam, Bit Role, Male. Jewish villager with lines. Requires engaging stage presence, lively energy.

• Mordcha the Innkeeper, Bit Role, Male. Jewish villager with lines. Requires engaging stage presence, lively energy.

• Yussel the Haberdasher, Small Role, Male. Jewish villager who sells Motel his wedding hat. This role may be doubled with Nahum the Beggar. Requires engaging stage presence, lively energy.

• Nahum the Beggar, Bit Role, Male. Jewish villager with lines. This role may be doubled with Yussel the Haberdasher. Requires engaging stage presence, lively energy, physical comedy.

• The Fiddler, Mid Role, Male. Ensemble member, onstage throughout show, stands on roof and plays fiddle. Requires engaging non-verbal stage presence. Requires ability to balance stage with Tevye.