Felix Phillips / Mr. Duke
The novel’s protagonist, a director who takes a job teaching Shakespeare at a local prison after being ousted from his position as head of a prominent theater festival. Felix is at once a theatrical genius…
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Tony Price
Felix’s one-time assistant and current nemesis, the novel’s most irredeemable villain. After years of being left to deal with the logistical aspects of the Makeshiweg Festival while Felix concentrates on his spectacular productions, Tony…
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Miranda
Felix’s daughter, who dies at the age of three, just before Felix is fired from his position at the festival, in a sudden attack of meningitis. Although Felix was often a distracted caregiver, leaving…
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Anne-Marie Greenland
A struggling actress who plays Miranda in the Fletcher Correctional Players’ production of The Tempest. Twelve years earlier, Felix had enlisted the teenaged Anne-Marie to play Miranda in the production he was planning at…
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Estelle
Felix’s supervisor in his job at the prison, a well-connected professor and pioneer of the Literacy Through Literature program. A stylish and vivacious woman, Estelle is passionate about prison education and uses the connections…
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8Handz
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe, a young and intelligent man arrested for hacking. A genius with technology and special effects, 8Handz becomes Felix’s chief assistant, as well as playing Ariel in…
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Leggs
One of the most talented and outgoing prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe, Leggs is eventually chosen to play Caliban. A mixed-race veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Leggs is incarcerated because he turned to…
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WonderBoy
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe, eventually selected to play Ferdinand. A handsome and charming young man, WonderBoy has been incarcerated after selling fake life insurance to credulous senior citizens. While Felix…
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Red Coyote
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe, eventually selected to play Stephano, one of Antonio’s unscrupulous servants. A Native Canadian, Red Coyote has been incarcerated for drug dealing. From the start of the…
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Lonnie Gordon
The head of the Makeshiweg Festival’s Board of Directors, a naïve but goodhearted old man. Felix often disdains Lonnie because he’s so boring and pompous; however, the elderly man is one of the only people…
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Sal O’Nally
One of Felix’s nemeses and a provincial politician, first Minister of Heritage and later Minister of Justice. Having disliked Felix since they attended high school together and fought frequently, Sal assists Tony with his…
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Maude
Felix’s landlady when he moves to the rural cottage. A brusque but discreet woman, she protects Felix’s privacy and provides him with electricity and wood for his stove in exchange for punctual rent payments…
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Sebert Stanley
An intelligent minor politician who moves in Sal and Tony’s orbit and accompanies them on their visit to the prison. Like the other two, he’s presented as sleazy and unconcerned with the public…
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Frederick O’Nally
Sal O’Nally’s son, an aspiring but struggling thespian who accompanies his father and the other politicians on their visit to the prison. When Felix first hears about him from Estelle, Frederick seems like…
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Bent Pencil
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe, eventually selected to play Gonzalo. He’s an accountant incarcerated after embezzling from his clients. Although he’s often pompous in his behavior, he’s also gentle and kind…
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SnakeEye
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe, eventually selected to play Antonio, the villain. Convicted of running real estate scams and a small Ponzi scheme, SnakeEye is unrepentant of his crimes and see…
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Nadia
Felix’s wife, who dies of a sudden infection shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Miranda. Dead by the time the novel begins, she appears only in Felix’s memories as a kind and…
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Minor Characters
Krampus
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe, eventually selected to play Alonso. He’s a Mennonite who has been convicted of participating in a Mennonite crime ring that smuggled drugs hidden in farm equipment from Mexico to Canada.
Phil the Pill
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe, eventually selected to play Sebastian. He’s a middle-aged doctor, incarcerated after prescribing opioids to college students who eventually overdosed and died. Like his character in the production, he’s a little gullible and easy to manipulate.
TimEEz
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe, eventually selected to play Trinculo. He’s been convicted of shoplifting, and is most notable for his critical role in divesting Tony and Sal of their security pagers during the play, thus preventing them from calling for the guards.
Shiv
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe. A former gang enforcer, he plays the Announcer, a part Felix adds to the play in order to summarize each scene and facilitate audience comprehension.
PPod
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe. A former gang member, he plays the Boatswain, a minor character who appears during the shipwreck at the beginning of the play.
Riceball
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe. He plays a goblin, one of the magical creatures that do Prospero’s dirty work. In the prison production, this means he’s one of the people manhandling and restraining the visiting politicians.
Col.Deth
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe. He plays a goblin, one of the magical creatures that do Prospero’s dirty work. In the prison production, this means he’s one of the people manhandling and restraining the visiting politicians.
VaMoose
One of the prisoners in Felix’s acting troupe. He plays a goblin, one of the magical creatures that do Prospero’s dirty work. In the prison production, this means he’s one of the people manhandling and restraining the visiting politicians.
Bert
Maude’s husband, a truck driver who brings Felix wood for his stove and plows the dirt path to his house.
Crystal
Maude and Bert’s young daughter.
Walter
Maude and Bert’s teenage son.
Dylan
One of the guards at Fletcher Correctional Center, generally friendly to Felix and interested in his work. He usually appears with his colleague, Madison.
Madison
One of the guards at Fletcher Correctional Center, generally friendly to Felix and interested in his work. He usually appears with his colleague, Dylan.
The Warden
The official in charge of the prison. He’s occasionally referenced but never actually appears in the novel.
