Fools by Neil Simon

Leon Tolchinsky (20-30s) – is a bright and industrious schoolteacher eager to make a difference. He comes to the town of Kulyenchikov to replace the previous schoolmaster. Leon’s eagerness does not prevent him from being impatient with the limitations of Kulyenchikov’s residents. Throughout the play, Leon is obviously frustrated by their inability to understand simple ideas. When the Zubritskys attempt to answer his question about the meaning of life in Act 1, they incongruously respond, “Twelve.” Long after the conversation ends, Leon leaves the house and can be heard screaming “TWELVE?” from the street. In this way, Leon is somewhat inflexible in his teaching methods: he explains concepts and expects the students to master them immediately.

To counter this, Leon’s other key characteristic is his determination. His focused nature may make him impatient, but it also drives him to save the town from the curse. Even when everything is against him, he is determined to educate the people. In his opening and closing monologues, Leon reveals his commitment to learning. Educating people is his passion, and his passion ultimately saves the town.

Leon also has a very open heart that gives him a certain degree of naïveté. In some ways, his narrow-minded way of instruction stems from this. He just cannot believe in a world where people cannot learn. His open heart is also what makes him fall for Sophia. Indeed, he falls in love with her almost instantly when they meet at Dr. Zubritsky’s house. His love for Sophia provides further motivation to save the town. When he succeeds, he saves his last words for Sophia. He admits that she has a kind of intelligence he lacks and that he is her student in many ways.

Snetsky (any age) – is a shepherd who does not know his own first name. As a result, he refers to himself as Something Something Snetsky.

The magistrate (50+) – is an elderly official in the town of Kulyenchikov. He is among the first to meet Leon and eventually presides over his wedding to Sophia.

Slovitch (any age) – is the butcher who befriends Leon along with Mishkin and Yenchna. Late in the play, as Sophia and Leon are about to be married, Slovitch raises the concern that some members of the town might have been dumb even without the curse. Once the curse is lifted, Slovitch finds that he is simply not very bright.

Mishkin (any age) – is the postman who delivers a letter of great importance to Leon.

Yenchna (any age) – is a street vendor who is never sure what she is selling. She frequently refers to her flowers as fish simply because the fisherman did not catch any.

Dr. Zubritsky (40+) – is Sophia’s father and the town physician. He is married to Lenya and demonstrates slightly more acumen than his wife does. More than the other townspeople, Dr. Zubritsky seems to understand Leon’s predicament. Despite his own limited abilities, he tries his best to be of service to Leon.

Lenya Zubritsky (40+) – is Dr. Zubritsky’s meddlesome wife and Sophia’s mother. Lenya is easily excitable and is arguably the most invested in the future of the town of Kulyenchikov. She is also the most invested in Sophia’s happiness with Leon. She initially seems to be one of the town’s dimmest residents, making more mistakes than the other characters in the play. Despite this, she experiences the biggest reversal when the town regains its brains at the end of the play. She eventually begins a career in politics, and her future shines brighter than that of her husband.

Sophia Zubritsky (20-30s) – is the very innocent daughter of Dr. Zubritsky and his wife, Lenya. She falls in love with Leon, who tries to educate her and break the curse. Although Sophia initially displays limited intellectual capabilities, she has an intrinsic sense of her own potential.

Gregor Yousekevitch (40+) – is a villainous rival of Leon for Sophia’s affections. He has a long family history connecting him to the curse of Kulyenchikov. Like the doctor, Gregor’s stupidity comes and goes.