Female Trouble

A rebellious high school girl whose vanity and hunger for fame pull her into crime and public attention. Dawn’s life is shaped by manipulation from others who promise glamour, while she struggles with the consequences of her actions and a disfiguring incident. Her pursuit of autonomy through performance ends in a televised, tragic execution that underscores the price of spectacle.

Dawn’s daughter, a teenager torn between her mother’s chaotic world and a desire for a more principled path. Taffy’s search for her father leads to violence, exposing family fractures and the cruelty of Dawn’s environment. She ultimately abandons her past, signaling a potential escape from the cycle of crime.

Co-owner of the Lipstick Beauty Salon who recruits Dawn into the Dasher artistic scheme. She and Donald use Dawn as a living canvas to prove their theory that crime equals beauty, manipulating both Dawn and Ida for their own gain. Donna embodies a calculated blend of charm and calculation within a glamorized criminal enterprise.

Co-owner of the beauty salon and architect of the scheme that franchises Dawn’s crimes as art. He positions himself as a facilitator of Dawn’s rise while weaving a web of deceit around the participants. Donald’s role reveals how artifice can weaponize morality and how those behind the scenes profit from others’ notoriety.

Gater’s aunt who resents his marriage and seeks revenge against Dawn for driving him away. Her portrayal as both calculating and vulnerable culminates in a dramatic acid attack and testifying against Dawn, illustrating how personal vendettas intersect with broader schemes of exploitation. Ida’s actions shape the moral landscape of the central conflict.

Dawn’s hair stylist husband and neighbor who becomes entangled in the couple’s life of crime and manipulation. His departure to Detroit marks a turning point that deepens Dawn’s sense of abandonment and fuels the Dashers’ retaliatory actions. Gater’s role highlights how personal relationships feed into larger cycles of disruption.

Dawn’s friend who participates in the chaotic criminal activities alongside her. Concetta represents the communal aspect of the criminal lifestyle among Dawn’s circle and reflects how peer groups can normalize harmful behavior. Her presence emphasizes the social dynamic of youth drawn into glamor and risk.

Dawn’s fellow inmate and lover, who anchors a discreet, intimate relationship within the chaotic world surrounding Dawn. Earnestine’s presence offers a counterpoint to the public spectacle, illustrating personal affection and vulnerability amid spectacle and cruelty. Her bond with Dawn provides emotional depth to the larger satire of power and performance.