Description:

Jackalope Theatre is holding auditions for our production of We The Illest Productions Presents: P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle by Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm, Directed by Lili-Anne Brown.

Dorian Belle is a big deal. He's a Canadian pop sweetheart, and he's ready to be taken seriously. So his people hire his favorite hip-hop artists-Black and Alexand, the 'bad boy' rappers of Petty Young Goons-to help him toughen up his image. They're black, he's white. They're from Chicago, he's from Canada. It's all on reality TV. What could go wrong? Inspired by Shaw's Pygmalion, this play is a blistering and entertaining look at cultural and racial appropriation in a fictionalized exchange of ideologies, vernacular, and alleged street cred.

Characters:
All actors must be able to rap and have knowledge of hip-hop culture.

Dorian Belle: male, 21, white, a former child star, pop singer, whose career was largely directed by his mother from whom he has now split. Dorian is looking for street cred/blackness to improve his popular image. A TV show follows his efforts to work on this with the other two characters. Dorian is wealthy, famous, largely naïve, seemingly superficial but ultimately finds his strength.

Blacky Blackerson, aka Black: male, 21, black, one part of P.Y.G. rap/hip hop performers. Wants to be more 'street' than his background supports. Angry but curious. Willing to compromise for money and flirts with success through a whitening of his product. Verbally more outrageous than his partner but often poetic. Participates initially reluctantly in the TV show about Dorian then starts enjoying himself more, until Charlottesville.

Alexand Da Great: male, 21, black, the other half of P.Y.G. Initially more polite than Black, and often translates for him. Eloquent, often poetic too, also idealistic and politically motivated. Also had a pushing mother with ambitions for him. Dry humor. Seems to be driving the duo's participation in the TV show but eventually pulls away from it more fully than Black.

Time Commitment:
1st Reh.: Monday Sept. 23rd
Tech: Sunday Oct. 20th - Saturday Oct. 26th
Dress Reh.: Monday Oct. 28th
Previews: Tuesday Oct. 29th-31st, Nov. 2nd & Nov. 4th
Opening: Tuesday Nov. 5th
Closing: Saturday Dec. 14th
Pot. Extension: Saturday Dec. 21st

Material To Prepare:
Auditions will consist of a side sent to you when your time slot is confirmed and a rap excerpt of your choice, minimum 16 bars, max 32. All actors are required to rap in their audition. We will have a sound system available if you have a track or beats to accompany you.