Casting Teen Performers for "Zoot Suit" Play
Looking for performers ages 15 and up for the "Zoot Suit" Show. Please see the details below. ONLY LOCAL TALENT WILL BE ACCEPTED. About the project: Have you ever dreamed of stepping into the powerful and vibrant world of Zoot Suit? Now's your chance! A man dressed in a zoot suit uses a switchblade to cut through the backdrop of a newspaper’s front page, which reads, “ZOOT-SUITER HORDES INVADE LOS ANGELES.” Emerging from the hole he cut, El Pachuco adjusts his outfit and combs his hair, eventually addressing the audience by asking them in Spanish slang if they’re looking at his clothes. Switching to English, he explains that the audience is about to see a play about the Pachuco way of life, saying that the archetypical Pachuco is first and foremost a performer, somebody who takes part in constructing what it means to be Chicano. The 38th Street Gang then enters and erupts into an animated party. Wearing a zoot suit, Henry Reyna, leader of the 38th Street Gang, greets his friends. The gang has a good time when they spot members of the Downey Their rivals. A fight almost erupts, but El Pachuco stops it. Still, the party is interrupted by a siren, and Sergeant Smith and Lieutenant Edwards burst onto the scene, telling the dancers to put their hands up. Smith calmly tells a white sailor at the party to leave, but then he and Edwards arrest the 38th Street Gang before bringing them to jail. Members of the press arrive and shout out headlines: the 38th Street Gang has been arrested on suspicion of the recent murder of José Williams at Sleepy Lagoon. Additional info: Looking for actors and dancers to bring this culturally significant story to life on stage. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to be part of the dynamic and impactful production of Zoot Suit! If interested, please apply.
15 roles
Alice Bloomfield is a reporter and activist who is eager to counter the predominant narrative about the Chicano community in the press.
Rudy is Henry’s younger brother. Eager to be like Henry, Rudy is sometimes overzealous and hotheaded.
The judge who presides over Henry and his friends’ trial is played by the same actor who portrays Lieutenant Edwards.
Rafas is the leader of the Downey Gang, the rivals of the 38th Street Gang.
Lieutenant Edwards is a member of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Sergeant Smith is a member of the Los Angeles Police Department who unfairly and mercilessly persecutes Henry and the rest of the 38th Street Gang.
Della is Henry’s girlfriend. While testifying at Henry’s trial, Della refuses to answer a question because she knows that the public prosecutor will twist her words around to make it seem like she’s making incriminating statements about Henry and the other members of the 38th Street Gang.
Joey Castro is a member of the 38th Street Gang. While in prison, Joey decides to give up leading the life of a pachuco.
Tommy Roberts is a member of the 38th Street Gang.
Throughout the play, multiple members of the press involve themselves in whatever’s going on.
Smiley Torres is a member of the 38th Street Gang. In fact, he is the gang’s cofounder, along with Henry. However, Smiley’s time in prison inspires him to leave California altogether, deciding to move with his wife and child to Arizona after he's released.
José Williams is the man who’s murdered at the Williams’ Ranch near the Sleepy Lagoon. Although there’s no evidence to suggest that Henry and the rest of the 38th Street are responsible for José’s death, they are arrested for killing him.
Lupe is Henry’s younger sister, and one of the people who hangs out with the 38th Street Gang. Like Henry and their brother, Rudy, she is quite concerned with the way she looks, wanting to dress in the style popular among young Chicanas in the 1940s.
Bertha is Henry’s ex-girlfriend who bothers him at a dance party because he’s dancing with his new girlfriend, Della.
Cholo is a member of the 38th Street Gang. He is with Rudy during the Zoot Suit Riots.
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