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 by Nicholas Pilapil
    “

    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 by Nicholas Pilapil
    “

    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.
    Teen
    Asian American
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Becky
    a nice white girl who is obsessed with Rose.
    Teen
    White
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor 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.
    Teen
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor 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.
    Teen
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • 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
      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.”
    Teen
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • 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
      Female
  • Judy
    the new girl in school who is ridden with social anxiety and dying to fit in.
    Teen
    Asian American
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

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

Production History

Awards