The Bottoming Process by Nicholas Pilapil

Two writers meet at WeWork and fall in love—or something like it. One is a famed novelist, and the other is a nobody who's mostly funny on Twitter. One is nearing middle age, and the other is flailing through their twenties. One is White, and the other is definitely Not. As they mate, date, and cohabitate, they'll grapple with issues of race, sex, power, and the model minority myth, all to find out who's really on top.
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The Bottoming Process

Recommended by

  • Jasmine Sharma:
    1 May. 2023
    “ Woo! Live laugh love the pop culture of this play, the internet a theatrical world of its own. A hilarious, searing exploration of positionality, love and lust, and narrative agency. ”
  • Timothy Krause:
    25 Feb. 2023
    “ "The Bottoming Process" is in turns thoughtful, heartfelt, painful, funny, rewarding. I felt so drawn to these two characters, that I wanted their relationship to succeed, even as I watched, complicitly, how it chipped their individual identities. I'm so excited that this script will be produced this spring. It has so much to give, and we have so much to learn. ”
  • Lisa Dellagiarino Feriend:
    12 Dec. 2022
    “ Wow, this play is great. It's a love story, but it's also about racism and power dynamics and the creative process. I would go from giggling as I read to squirming and back again, and I'm going to be thinking about this one all night. ”
View all 13 recommendations

Character Information

  • Milo
    late-twenties ,
    Asian American, Filipino, Filipino American
    ,
    Male
    faux confident, actually shy and insecure but you wouldn’t guess, honest not mean, uses his humor as a defense mechanism, hard to crack, has a heart of gold, non-fiction writer.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American, South Asian or South Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • John
    40s,
    White
    ,
    Male
    big dick energy, he does what he thinks is right even if it's obviously wrong, confident not arrogant, quietly a geek, fiction writer.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Rosie
    30s,
    Asian American
    ,
    Female
    Milo’s best friend, a spitfire, an actress.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Charlie
    40s,
    BIPOC
    ,
    Female
    John and Milo's book agent, all business but loving. Charlie should not be white passing.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any actor of color
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Other People
    30s,
    White, white passing
    ,
    Male
    Plays Daniel, Cody, Roger, and other people. Other People can be any ethnicity but must be able to believably play white.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

Production History

Awards

Finalist
,
Best New Play
,
BroadwayWorld (Los Angeles)
,
2023