UPDATED: 2-23-2007

click here to view/download the script

Far from it: Andre is an aspiring playwright who accidentally shoots his teacher in the face with a flare gun as part of a play about Tupac. He is smart, energetic, creative, with an eccentric fashion style. He is far from a typical “ghetto” kid though he lives in a poor neighborhood next door to a Baptist church. African-American.

Andre rides that fine line — he doesn't come off as a mean jerk but he is far from a nice guy either. He would be a good lawyer, he loves to start debates and argue his way out of things, if he could only find people to keep up with his lightning-fast mind. Andre likes Dug but also likes to make fun of him. He thinks Dug is an idiot savant, who drives him crazy mad sometimes. Andre is the one with the hot temper (fitting with his super sensitive, fast paced nature) and because Dug can take the insults and laughter, Andre doesn’t come off super “mean.” He insults and berates and corrects Dug constantly, but it's done "out of love."

Not only does Andre not fit in with the Black kids…he does not get along with most people. Yet he and his good (best?) friend Trav serve as a true “odd couple” in looks and temperament. Since Trav is a bit of a misfit in the Mexican community… they have this in common. Andre also (and this is mainly "backstory") feels envious of Travis' assured ways, his clear sense of wrong and right, his satisfaction with the simple things in life...Trav is not a tortured guy like Andre is, and Andre marvels at this.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ANDRE SIDE

Viv:
Preferably blonde, fit, popular “A” personality type. Looks like Cameron Diaz. She is gorgeous but FAR from a “dumb blonde:” she is very intense, driven, hard working, a bit angry, even. She hangs with the preppy, rich crowd. She is highly driven to succeed in every area of her life. She plans on someday managing a professional football team, she LOVES sports and knows everything about pro football up and down. She comes from a wealthy but weird family, as both of her parents are big-haired televangelists on the Texas Christian Broadcasting Network. She is prone to storming around and yells a lot. Often comes off as “mean.” Almost in spite of her beauty, she is tough inside and out. Rarely smiles.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD VIV SIDE

Travis Hernandez:
Travis drives a tricked-out mini-monster truck that accidentally crashes through the lunchroom window at the school. When Travis opens the car door, dozens of beer cans spill out. He lives in a ramshackle house with 5 younger brothers and sisters, all under the age of 10, and his dad doesn’t seem much older than he is. Trav is Mexican-American. Looks very intimidating, mean and street-tough upon first impression, yet is a total softy at heart. He is the main caretaker of his family.

He wears the most super violent, gruesome, horror movie/comic t-shirts (which the Principal often makes him turn inside-out ). Loves the Misfits (band) and basically everything they sell at Hot Topic: skulls, monsters, black lights, metal and old-school punk, etc...and of course, he loves Goth Girls (Suicide Girls is his most-visited bookmark). This makes him slightly alienated from the rest of the Mexican kids/community: he is the odd man out, the black sheep — and he likes this. Travis is very confident in who he is.

Travis' goal is to make life one long permanent vacation. He derives great joy and satisfaction from the simple things in life: an entire free day to do whatever he wants, a new CD, spending all day BBQing on his custom made oil-drum grill, a perfectly rolled joint, a new comic, etc. He has been trying to learn to play the bass for the past 5 years but he is just too relaxed to put any time into it. The answer to all troubles is a good joke -- keeping a good sense of humor. Not to say Trav is "jolly," but he loves a good laugh, be it at someone else's expense or his own. Trav serves almost as the go-between between Andre the super brilliant and mocking and Dug the dim but zen. Travis can find something to agree with on both sides but usually lands on Andres side marveling at Dug’s bizarre “Dugness."

Trav has had an ultra traditional Catholic upbringing, partly due to the fact that he was mainly raised by his grandma (but that's just in his "backstory") — he currently thinks it's all quite hilarious and he likes to refer to himself jokingly as "satanic." Drawn to ultra-violent horror movies / comics. His outer self is as tough as a Hell’s Angel and he sometimes provokes people for the fun of it … but he is truly a nice person underneath. And oddly enough, even though he looks radical, he is socially conservative underneath - not in a "right wing republican" conservative way but in a "lives by a strict moral code / strong family values / do the right thing" way.

A large part of the comedy in this character is the contrast between the tough guy who loves violent "tough guy" things and the sensitive soul who takes care of his many siblings, cooking them dinner, helping with homework, etc. He lets his little sister paint his nails pink, for example. He also will spend hours looking through cookbooks and secretly watches TIVO'ed Martha Stewart episodes for baking and household tips. (backstory: this is probably a reaction to growing up with no mom and a dad who is incredibly young and irrresponsible).

He does not fit in with the Mexican kids, partly because of his whole metal/horror/dress in black thing. This has also drawn him to Andre, a misfit among the Black kids. They both geek out about things like movies, art, music, etc
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TRAVIS SIDE

Tiny:
Very small-in-stature Asian girl with a bizarre “Vice Magazine” hip hop fashion sense (gym shorts, knee socks, trucker cap, corn rows). Tiny loves to dance, and is obsessed with hip hop and hardcore gangsta rap. Her parents are strict immigrants with little command of the English language, and are incredibly disappointed when their daughter is caught at a party where a large scale marijuana deal gets busted by the cops. Tiny hangs out almost exclusively with black kids, and dreams of starring in rap videos, as soon as she can “build up her butt” through a strict diet of cheeseburgers and fries.

REQUIREMENTS: This actress MUST know how to dance (current street/hip hop style). Must be able to pull off “gangsta” type speaking style and a “tough” attitude, even if the final result is comic, we have to believe that she thinks she is a bad-ass. She must also be very small/short!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TINY SIDE

Dug:
Dug is the son of a famous (and now washed up/party animal middle aged swinger type) ex-pro football player. Dug takes after his father in almost every way, but he doesn't like it. Very sunny, super-positive disposition. Dug is highly likable, super open-minded, non-judgemental, and is friendly with EVERYONE — and if someone doesn't like him he won't give up until they do. Dug is a big flirt, and all the girls lust after him – yet he is NOT your typical “handsome jock” in any shape or form. He drives a battered Mustang and wears old western shirts with flip flops. Listens to both stoner rock and Willie Nelson. Decorates his football helmet with weird psychedelic artwork. Gets away with everything. We have in mind a young Matthew McConaughey, in both looks and attitude. Longish unkempt hair is good. He wants to become his generation's Johnny Knoxville and is constantly performing dangerous stunts and filming them.

Girl crazy, sex crazy, confident, open-minded, and a bit of a dimbulb (ok, he's dumb) — he tends to comically and massively misunderstand anything and everything he hears but his confidence prevents him from ever feeling "self doubt." This sets up a great dynamic between him and Andre: he drives Andre nuts. Dug plays an important role in the group as a clown…with an equally important roles as someone with valuable insight and wisdom about “the ladies.” Dug will probably become President of the United States someday and have no idea how he did it.

REQUIREMENTS: MUST be very comfortable in his skin, fit, able to pull off a wide variety of physical stunts — hoisting himself into the ceiling, climbing a goal post, leaping over a fence, walking on his hands, flipping off a high cliff into the lake, etc. Extremely laid-back, good-natured, charming, SOUTHERN/TEXAN vibe. Handsome but with something in his look that is a bit “off” similar to Owen Wilson, Johnny Knoxville, Matthew McConaughey. Not in any way “typically” handsome, but someone with a quirk. Broken noses, scars, etc. are fine.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD DUG SIDE

Mr. Steckleberg:
"Mr. S." is similar to Ricky Gervais with that mix of confidence crossed with utter cluelessness, with a hint of Jack Black's physicality and manic energy as well. Can be ages mid-30’s through mid-50’s but must be able to pull off “complete nerd who thinks he is cool” well. He desperately tries/wants to be “hip” in a middle-aged teacher way: wearing suits with bright purple Chuck Taylors. Believing he is not an “ordinary, boring teacher,” he leads an unorthodox class of misfits and troublemakers at JFK High School using unconventional techniques, many which revolve around his singing, playing guitar, leading poetry readings, etc. He desperately wants the kids to like him, yet he swings from nice one minute to cruel the next. Mr. S. sees himself as an "inspirational teacher" educating the hardscrabble ghetto youth of today (though this is fairly far from reality)...and giving them their "one big chance for success," in the vein of Michelle Pfeiffer from "Dangerous Minds," Edward James Olmos in "Stand and Deliver" and Richard Dreyfuss in "Mr. Holland's Opus."

REQUIREMENTS: This actor must have a stand-up comedian’s sense of timing and be able to pull off dancing and singing in a skillfully comedic/ridiculous way. This person must be a PHYSICAL comedian as well with a sense of the absurd and a willingness to go over the top. Knowing how to improvise is key. We are very open to stand-up/improv comedians (even with little or no acting experience) and would love to find someone who would want to contribute improv or writing to this character.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MR S. SIDE

COACH ROBERTS: White, football coach / teacher. Hot-tempered, balding, stressed-out, comb-over, mid 40's. Not super bright. Hates kids. Texan.

TWO ACTORS IN ANDRE'S PLAY:

--TUPAC: Black, a skinny, jittery teenage boy, bad skin is good, 16-17
-- SUGE: White, an awkward teenage girl with braces, bad skin is good, 16-17

DUG'S DAD: White, bloated, washed up former pro football player, now a tanned, middle aged swinger/party animal, mid 40's

STONER CHICK/KAITLYN: White or Hispanic, hot, expressionless, long straight hair, stoned rocker chick straight out of "Dazed and Confused." 16.

TINY'S MOM: Asian, hard working, intense, tired, small and strong, limited English (need to wait to cast Tiny first), mid 40's

TINY'S DAD: Asian, hard working, intense, tired, small and strong, limited English (need to wait to cast Tiny first), mid 40's

LINDA (Tiny's Friend): White, chunky, sexed-up, trashy, long nails/feathered hair/tight clothes, obnoxious t-shirt wearer, boy-crazy, 4 months pregnant, 17

NIQUA (Tiny's friend): Black, tough-but-sweet, cute, fashionable, speaks her mind, 17

RICKY: (Viv's ex-boyfriend): White, typical "jock," football star, muscular, not so bright, classically handsome, 17

RICKY'S FRIEND: "classic jock dude."

CORY: Viv's ex-friend, white, stuck-up mean rich girl, 16-18

BRIT: Viv's ex-friend, any race, another stuck-up mean rich girl, 16-18

CRYSTAL VALENTINE (Viv's Mom): White, huge blonde/pink beehive hair, Southern in accent & look, chain smoking televangelist, recent boob job, fake tan, based on Jan Crouch of the TBN network, mid-40's.

JOHN VALENTINE (Viv's Dad): White, slick n' slimy televangelist with a big fake smile and perfectly groomed hair. Based on Paul Crouch of the TBN network, mid-40's

TRAVIS' DAD: Hispanic, VERY young-looking guy in his mid-30's, obviously "likes to party," mellow guy. Maybe he is super duper skinny. Little goatee. Looks like trouble.

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: (set for / inspired by Alex Jones) Stocky, intense, walks around with a bullhorn barking orders like a military commander.

HOSTILE PUNK KID (aka HENRY): White or Hispanic, black floppy mohawk or otherwise creative hair. Angry, surly, sullen, but funny. Not bright but very sure of his convictions (vegan, anti-fascist). Tons of attitude. Good at yelling. Eats candy 24-7. VERY reminiscent of "The Young Ones" punk character "Vyvyan Basterd!" (Google it) 16-18.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD HOSTILE PUNK KID SIDE

GOTH GIRL (aka CLOVE): White. Just your typical depressed, smart, goth girl who hates the world. Think of Ally Sheedy's character in "Breakfast Club." 16-18.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD GOTH GIRL SIDE

QUEEN MEAN GIRL: Black female, early 20's, gorgeous, stunning, hip partygoer who YELLS at Tiny (but can't be heard over the music). LONG manicured nails a must!

LAWRENCE: Asian, small, nerdy boy 15-16.

NON-SPEAKING ROLES

GOTH / EMO / and or PUNK COUPLE (making out furiously in the lunchroom), 16-18

KAREN, DUG'S DAD'S GIRLFRIEND: White, hot 40-ish bikini / biker mama, stoned

BLACK PARTYGOERS: 3 black, male, good looking, hip, upscale partygoers in their late teens - early 20's, dancing at party

FINE BLACK GUY: 1 black, male, extremely good looking (model type) partygoer to dance with Tiny at party, early 20's

BLACK PARTYGOERS: 4 black, female, good looking, hip, upscale partygoers in their late teens - early 20's, dancing at party

QUEEN MEAN GIRLS BACKUP: 2 black, female, good looking, hip, upscale partygoers in their late teens - early 20's, standing in the corner with Mean Girl, staring down Tiny at party.

PARTY DJ: black, trendy, male hip-hop DJ carrying a milk crate of records

TRAVIS' BROTHERS AND SISTER: four Mexican boys ages 4-10, one Mexican girl around age 6-8.

GENERAL KIDS FOR THE OSWALD ANNEX: 12-15 kids, a few in the following categories: metalheads, punks, misfits, skaters, potheads, over-the-top slutty girls, one hippie, one or two black kids with big wild afros, one or two very scary tattooed intimidating kids, weird hair a plus, from dreads to mowhawks to afros to crazy colors. tattoos and piercings good! all races, all 16-17.
(in ALL classroom scenes, Lunch, PLUS the Before the Bell hallway scene, a few are part of the Andre and Travis group)

GENERAL KIDS FOR JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL: 15-20 kids, wide variety of races and "types" to fill out scenes, interesting looking and very real...15-18.

MATH TABLE KIDS: 12 Mainly Asian, with some white and black kids thrown in, boys and girls, 15-18, with a "nerd" look....glasses, braces, awkward, mainly small in stature.
(2 scenes: Lunch, Locker-getting)

JOCK TABLE KIDS: 13-14 Black AND White: jocks, preppies, cheerleaders, future leaders of America, perfect straight A's and perfect teeth & hair. "The beautiful people." 16-18.
(3 scenes: Lunch, Locker-getting, and Before the Bell hallway scenes)

FOOTBALL PLAYERS: 5 players, any race. They sit with the Jocks at lunch. Some wear their uniform shirts.
(4 scenes: Lunch, Locker-getting, and Before the Bell hallway scenes, plus football practice scene)

CHEERLEADERS: 3, at least one should be black. They sit with the Jocks at lunch, in uniform.
(4 scenes: Lunch, Locker-getting, and Before the Bell hallway scenes, plus football practice scene)

TINY'S TABLE: 12-15 Black teen girls...range from preppy and cute to tougher "ghetto" styles...16-18. 5-8 black teen boys...a few have a "tough" gangsta look...16-18.
(3 scenes: Lunch, Locker-getting, and Before the Bell hallway scenes)

MIDDLE-AGED SWINGER / PARTYGOERS: 10-15 tanned, middle-aged partygoers in swim suits at Dug's Dad's party. Not in great shape but loving life.