Beast Among Men

by Nicholas Pilapil

In the shadow of American politics, a queer sex worker and a morally righteous senator are bound by a secret that thrives in the dark. When that secret is exposed, "Beast Among Men" follows the fallout of hypocrisy, faith, and ambition in a nation obsessed with power and purity. Adapted from Pedro Calderón de la Barca's "Life Is a Dream," the play explores how privilege, class, and sexuality determine who wields...

In the shadow of American politics, a queer sex worker and a morally righteous senator are bound by a secret that thrives in the dark. When that secret is exposed, "Beast Among Men" follows the fallout of hypocrisy, faith, and ambition in a nation obsessed with power and purity. Adapted from Pedro Calderón de la Barca's "Life Is a Dream," the play explores how privilege, class, and sexuality determine who wields power—and who gets silenced.

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Beast Among Men

Character Information

  • Ziggy
    A sex worker surviving at the intersection of class, race, and desire. He navigates a world that commodifies his body and punishes his identity. Charismatic and magnetic, he carries the play’s central question of whether true freedom can exist inside systems of power.
    20s
    Asian
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Rutherford
    A Republican senator who has built his career on family values and hard-right politics, while secretly engaging in high-stakes BDSM encounters with Ziggy. He embodies the contradictions of assimilation: a man of color striving for power inside a system designed to exclude him, weaponizing respectability politics even as he hides his queer desires.
    60s
    Asian
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Harper
    A drag performer (named Rosura) and political insider. Witty, bold, and resilient.
    30s
    African American/Black
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • Vida
    A rising progressive congresswoman running for Rutherford’s senate seat. Confident, idealistic, and loyal. She believes she can make the system bend toward justice.
    30s
    Latino
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Carolyn
    Rutherford's chief of staff and fixer. A gatekeeper who knows all the secrets but must choose which truths to protect.
    40-50s
    BIPOC
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman

Development History

  • Commission, Playwrights' Arena & UCLA's Diversifying the Classics, 2026