A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

PYG or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  3m

Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm

A blistering and entertaining look at cultural and racial appropriation
in a fictionalized exchange of ideologies, vernacular, and alleged
street cred.

PYG or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

Dorian Belle is a big deal. He’s a Canadian pop sweetheart, and he’s ready to be taken seriously. So his people hire his favorite hip-hop artists – Black and Alexand, the "bad boy" rappers of Petty Young Goons – to help him toughen up his image. They’re black, he’s white. They’re from Chicago, he’s from Canada. It’s all on reality TV. What could go wrong?

Inspired by Shaw’s Pygmalion, this scathing comedy is a blistering and entertaining look at cultural and racial appropriation in a fictionalized exchange of ideologies, vernacular, and alleged street cred.

History
P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle made its world premiere at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC in April 2019, under the direction of the playwright, Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups

(3m)

DORIAN BELLE – 21, M White
BLACKY BLACKERSON – 21, M Black
ALEXAN DA GREAT – 21, M Black

The following characters should be divided up among the trio:

URBANE PROFESSIONAL 25-30
EXTRA
ANNOUNCER
AVERAGE WHITE GUY
&DOORBELLESTAR
&AVGWHITEGUURL18
&TWERKANDWORKIT
&SHESORATCHETT
&WENDYCITY_PYG
&FURIOUS444
WOKEY
SLEEPY
NEWS ANCHOR
SPOKESPERSON 1
SPOKESPERSON 2

  • Time Period New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting Reality TV. 2018.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 105 Minutes

Media

“A brilliantly funny satire on race relations.” – DC Theatre Scene

“A stimulating blend of empathy and entertainment… this play excels in nearly every way, tackling questions of authenticity and accountability with ample wit and ferocious generosity.” – New City Stage

“Double-edged satire… Chisholm's play steers away from easy didacticism even as he takes shots at everything from Hamilton to hip-hop artists who embellish their street cred… What gives this show heart as well as heat is that Chisholm's take-no-prisoners approach still lets us feel sympathy for the characters… smart, savvy, and sometimes achingly truthful.” – Chicago Reader

“Pop-savvy new satire.” – Washington Post

“A brilliantly funny satire on race relations… Chisholm’s writing – his beautiful sensory lyricism – is illuminated during his characters’ dramatic monologues.” – DC Theatre Scene

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm

Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm

Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm most recently presented his play Black Dick at the 2019 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and premiered P.Y.G. at Studio Theater as both playwright and director; the play has previously been developed at the Magic Theater’s Virgin Play Festiva ...

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