Casting for 'The Chrysalis (La Crisalida)' Play
The play’s setting is 1990s Ponce, Puerto Rico, where a father, Eduardo, serves an American pharmaceutical company that makes life-saving AIDS medications, tax-free, that most patients in Puerto Rico can't afford. On the occasion of his twenty-first birthday, Eduardo’s younger son Raul calls on the spirits of his late grandparents hoping their fight for independence during the ‘30s and ‘40s will inspire Eduardo to act on a gay friend’s behalf. Raul’s grandfather appears, but he reveals family secrets that inspire fear instead of hope. Raul’s older brother, Francisco, is pulled in three directions--by his dominating father, his vulnerable younger brother, and a menacing baseball teammate who tests Francisco’s loyalty and threatens the entire family’s future. Raul’s mother Eva and the ghost of his grandmother must take on the silences that have brought the family into crises when Raul challenges his father about his role in the corporation’s practices.
9 roles
Guillermo: A spirit--70s. Father of Eduardo; Raúl and Francisco's beloved grandfather; Spanish, born in Mallorca. Bi-sexual male. Represent the family’s heritage and the weight of unspoken truths. Challenges the family to balance tradition with progress and resilience with action. Serves as catalyst for the family’s eventual unity and acknowledgment of their shared struggles.
Serwaa: A spirit--70s. Mother of Eduardo; Raul and Francisco's revered grandmother; born in Puerto Rico to a former Ghanaian slave. Cisgender female. A powerful voice for Puerto Rican independence in her day. An activist during historic and tumultuous days when Pedro Albizu Campos led the independence movement.
Eduardo: 50s. Guillermo’s estranged son, Raúl and Francisco's father; Eva's husband. Tired of his parents' fight for independence, he has chosen prosperity tied to American corporate interests. Afro-Puerto Rican cisgender male. Portrayed as pragmatic and complicit in systemic inequities. Begins to confront his choices when challenged by RAÚL and his family’s collective reckoning. Reconnects with RAÚL in the end, signaling hope for intergenerational understanding.
Eva: 50s. Raúl and Francisco's mother. Eduardo's wife. Puerto Rican cisgender female. Pulled in several directions--hoping to serve God and her family even while serving her family may mean sending one son away. Acts as the family’s emotional anchor, torn between preserving peace and confronting harsh realities. Plays a key role in revealing the family’s involvement in José’s story. Supports RAÚL’s journey toward understanding, embodying quiet strength.
Francisco: 23. Raúl’s older brother. A promising baseball player. Afro-Puerto Rican cisgender male. Initially torn between loyalty to his family and the pressures of his teammates. Faces his fears by standing up to ÁNGEL and embracing his role as protector of his family. Evolves into a more thoughtful and self-assured figure, though still struggling with his own doubts.
Raúl: 21. Afro-Puerto Rican son of Eduardo and Eva; A medical student and idealist. Gay male. Starts as an inquisitive and outspoken character, determined to uncover truths. Grows to understand the complexities of silence and compromise within cultural and familial contexts. Gains a new appreciation for his father’s fears and sacrifices, achieving a fragile reconciliation.
Ángel: 20s. Francisco’s homophobic baseball teammate. Puerto Rican cisgender male. Embodies ignorance, bigotry, and violence, using fear to manipulate others. Is ultimately exposed as a bully and loses influence over FRANCISCO and RAMON. Leaves the scene in disgrace, representing a broader societal shift away from toxic masculinity.
José: 24. Friend of Raúl two years ahead of Raul in medical school. Puerto Rican. Gay male. Jose and Raul have a close emotional bond and mutual interest in medical school until Jose contracts AIDS after mishandling some blood. He's a world-weary figure.
A dual role for one actor. Both in their mid twenties. Ramon plays baseball with Francisco and comes to his aid at a crucial time. Pedro is a sugarcane worker.
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