(Most ages approximate)
David Jacobs- About 16 years old. Leaves school and becomes a newsie. Very down-to-earth and intelligent, a pacifist.
Les Jacobs- David's 9 year old brother. Really looks up to Jack.
Spot Conlon- 15-year-old Brooklyn newsie. Leader of the Brooklyn newsies, very tough and suspicious of everyone else. Carries a sling shot and a cane.
Racetrack Higgins- 15 years old. Funny, cigar-smoking, gambling guy. Loves to go to the racetracks and bet on horses.
Mush Meyers- 15 years old. Shy and kind, extremely gullible.
Kid Blink- 17 years old. Wears an eye patch over his left eye. Optimistic, cheerful all the time.
Crutchy- 16 years old. Good friend of Jack's. Is a cripple with a crutch, but is friendly and trusts everyone.
Skittery- 17 years old. The complete opposite of Kid Blink- pessimistic, grumpy, picks on other newsies.
Boots- 11 years old. African-American, often speaks for other kids.
Snipeshooter- 11 years old. Chews on cigarette butts, steals cigars from other newsies.
Specs- 18 years old. Wears glasses.
Dutchy- 17 years old. Good friend of Specs.
Swifty- 15 years old. Helps out Jack.
Bumlets- 17 years old. Nice, friendly guy.
Pie Eater- 19 years old. Shouts a lot.
Snoddy- 19 years old. Friend of Pie Eater and Bumlets.
Itey- 15 years old. Shy and quiet.
Snitch- 16 years old. Itey's best friend.
Jake- 17 years old.
Medda Larkson- Swedish vaudeville singer, old friend of Jack's father. Owns Irving Hall, helps the newsies out. David and other newsies have crushes on her.
Kloppman- Owner of the Newsboys Lodging House, where most of the newsies live. Very kind, is a father-like figure to them.
Sarah Jacobs- 17 years old. David and Les' older sister. Works as a seamstress, Jack has a crush on her.
Esther Jacobs- David and Les' mother, protective of her children. Very kind.
Mayer Jacobs- David and Les' father. Injured from a factory accident, can't work, so David becomes a newsie.
Teddy Roosevelt- Governor of New York. Famous for his charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba. Knows Denton.
Ten Pin- 10 year old prisoner in the House of Refuge. Friend of Jack's.
Don Seitz- Pulitzer's right-hand man. Is cautious, and a little kinder to the newsies than Pulitzer.
Jonathon- High-ranking World employee, serves as Pulitzer's personal advisor. Shy and quiet.
Warden Snyder- Owner and warden of the House of Refuge, which is a jail for boys under 21. Obsessed with returning Jack to the Refuge.
Weasel- Works at the Distribution Center. Sells papers to the newsies. Mean and rude to them.
Oscar Delancey- the younger of the Delancey brothers, about 20 years old. A perverted, cruel guy.
Morris Delancey- the older of the Delancey brothers, about 22 years old. Also cruel. He and Oscar also work at the Distribution Center, in charge of keeping the newsies in line.
Child World employee
Adult World employee
A sleeping man
A man
Toby, a clown, works for Medda
Medda's bodyguard
Waiters at Tibby's
Scabs, newsies who do not go on strike
Boys in the House of Refuge
Men with weapons
Captain McSwain, police captain
Mayor Van Wyck, mayor of New York
Chief of Police
William Randolph Hearst, owner of the New York Journal
Mr. Bennett, owner of the New York Tribune
Mr. Taylor, owner of the New York Times
Mr. Gammon, owner of the New York Sun
Bailiff
E.A. Monahan, judge in the newsies' court case
A carriage driver
Policemen
Extra newsies
Work kids
Specific settings in order of appearance
New York streets, Manhattan- where the newsies sell papers, and where boxing matches are held
The Distribution Center, Manhattan- where the New York Worlds are sent to be sold to the newsies
The circulation desk- part of the Distribution Center where Weasel sells papers to the newsies
The World building, Manhattan- where the offices of the New York World employees are located
Irving Hall, Manhattan- fancy theatre owned by Medda
Street outside Irving Hall, Manhattan- where a fight between trolley workers takes place
Jacobs' apartment and fire escape, Manhattan- where the Jacobs family lives
Outside the World Building, Manhattan- where the newsies often picket for the strike
Tibby's Restaurant, Manhattan- cheap restaurant where the newsies often meet for lunch
Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn- where David, Jack, and Boots walk on their way to the Brooklyn dock
A dock, Brooklyn- where Spot and the Brooklyn newsies hang out in their free time
Newsies Square, Manhattan- where Jack and the newsies hang out in their free time
The House of Refuge/The Refuge, Manhattan- jail for boys under 21
Courtroom, Manhattan- courtroom in which the newsies' trial takes place
Pulitzer's house and study, Manhattan- where Jack is taken to meet with Pulitzer
Basement of the Distribution Center, Manhattan- where Jack lives while he is working for Pulitzer
An alley, Manhattan- where the Delanceys try to kidnap/rape Sarah and fight with David and Jack
Denton's apartment, Manhattan- where David, Jack, Sarah, and Les talk with Denton
Read the script