Before and After

by Nicholas Pilapil

Rose is the most popular girl at North Bay Hills High. She’s all that! But, don’t touch her Asian hair or you’ll live to regret it, because she puts the mean girls to shame. Judy is the new girl at school, and she's clueless—and dreams of being just like everyone else. But her dreams soon become reality when Rose lures her into the glamorous world of being a badass bitch, and in true teen movie fashion, turns...

Rose is the most popular girl at North Bay Hills High. She’s all that! But, don’t touch her Asian hair or you’ll live to regret it, because she puts the mean girls to shame. Judy is the new girl at school, and she's clueless—and dreams of being just like everyone else. But her dreams soon become reality when Rose lures her into the glamorous world of being a badass bitch, and in true teen movie fashion, turns her from a basketcase into a princess. But it’s not easy being popular and fabulous at North Bay Hills. And Judy's teen dream soon starts to unravel and she's forced to choose between her life before and after.

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Before and After

Recommended by

  • Nick Malakhow: Before and After

    I loved the heightened and hilarious theatrical world Pilapil creates in BEFORE AND AFTER. It feels like both an homage to and subversion of teen movies that complicates the typically white-hetero lens that permeates these kinds of films. All of the characters are painted in bold, saturated colors, and the satirical antics entertain while also zeroing in on oft-neglected topics in the genre--namely calling out and exploring misogyny, racism, homophobia, and the social structures that pit young women against one another. It would be a blat to see this onstage!

    I loved the heightened and hilarious theatrical world Pilapil creates in BEFORE AND AFTER. It feels like both an homage to and subversion of teen movies that complicates the typically white-hetero lens that permeates these kinds of films. All of the characters are painted in bold, saturated colors, and the satirical antics entertain while also zeroing in on oft-neglected topics in the genre--namely calling out and exploring misogyny, racism, homophobia, and the social structures that pit young women against one another. It would be a blat to see this onstage!

  • Rosie Narasaki: Before and After

    This witty, fast-paced play is a timely and fresh send up of all your favorite cult-classic high school movies (think "Heathers" meets "Jawbreaker" meets "Mean Girls"). It's got the best (and hottest) Asian American mean girl ever, a rap about makeovers, and some top-notch bitchy humor. What more could you possibly ask for?

    This witty, fast-paced play is a timely and fresh send up of all your favorite cult-classic high school movies (think "Heathers" meets "Jawbreaker" meets "Mean Girls"). It's got the best (and hottest) Asian American mean girl ever, a rap about makeovers, and some top-notch bitchy humor. What more could you possibly ask for?

Character Information

This play must be cast diversely to reflect a modern high school student population. All the characters are teenagers, but can be played by actors in their 20’s to 30’s, because in most TV shows and movies, teens look like they’re 26.
  • Rose
    the most popular girl in school. She makes the mean girls look nice. Honest, confident, and secretly has a heart of gold.
    Character Age
    Teen
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Asian American
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Becky
    a nice white girl who is obsessed with Rose.
    Character Age
    Teen
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Freddie
    the typical nice guy. He’s a bit jaded and dreams of being the one who gets away from their town.
    Character Age
    Teen
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • Leo
    Rose’s super hot boyfriend. Typical jock. His adoptive parents are white. Leo can be any ethnicity, but he is Rose’s boyfriend, and Rose doesn’t date white guys.
    Character Age
    Teen
    Character Gender Identity
    Male
  • Mona
    the second most popular girl in school. Conservative, but secretly has a wild side. Her motto is “kill ‘em with kindness.” Mona can be any ethnicity, but the character does refer to herself as “brown.”
    Character Age
    Teen
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • Judy
    the new girl in school who is ridden with social anxiety and dying to fit in.
    Character Age
    Teen
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Asian American
    Character Gender Identity
    Female

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization Fresh Produce'd Los Angeles, Year 2016
  • Type Reading, Organization East West Players, Year 2015

Production History

Awards