Backyard Theatre Company is seeking performers for its spring 2027 production of Our Dear Dead Drug Lord by Alexis Scheer, directed by Daira Rodriguez.

We are particularly interested in working with Latine, Black, Jewish, and other historically underrepresented performers. Early-career artists are strongly encouraged to audition

About the Play
In Miami, four teenage girls gather in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar.

What begins as a seemingly innocent game becomes something far more complicated as the girls confront grief, friendship, identity, power, and their changing relationships with one another.

Funny, unsettling, and deeply human, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord examines girlhood, cultural identity, and the rituals we create to make sense of a world that often feels beyond our control.

Audition Information
Dates and Times
Monday, December 7, 2026 | 6:00-9:30 PM
Tuesday, December 8, 2026 | 6:00-9:30 PM
Wednesday, December 9, 2026 | 7:00-9:30 PM

Location
Three Crows Theatre
4541 N. Ravenswood Avenue, Suite 204
Chicago, IL 60640

Audition Format
Auditions are by appointment only, with 15-minute slots available through our registration form.

Please prepare one comedic monologue. Contemporary material is preferred. Additional readings or exercises may be requested at the discretion of the director.

Callbacks will be scheduled shortly after the initial audition dates. Selected performers will receive additional information directly.

Available Roles
We are seeking performers for the following roles. All performers cast in the four principal teenage roles must be at least 18 years old.

PIPE | Cuban American | Plays 18 | Female-presenting
President of the Dead Leaders Club. Intelligent, commanding, and fiercely determined to maintain control. Pipe hides profound grief beneath a confident exterior. She is accustomed to making the rules, even when she doesn't fully understand what she is trying to control.
Seeking a Latine performer, particularly someone of Cuban or Cuban American heritage.

SQUEEZE | Puerto Rican and Haitian | Plays 16 | Female-presenting
Pipe's closest friend. Sharp, grounded, charming, and stubborn. Squeeze can match Pipe's intensity but possesses a greater capacity for empathy. She has strong convictions and isn't afraid to challenge those around her.
Seeking a Black performer, particularly someone of Afro-Caribbean, Puerto Rican, or Haitian heritage. Strong physical presence and movement skills are welcome

ZOOM | Jewish American | Plays 15 | Female-presenting
The youngest member of the group. Enthusiastic, impulsive, funny, and eager to belong. Zoom brings an infectious energy to the Dead Leaders Club, even as she struggles to understand the increasingly serious world around her.
Seeking a Jewish performer. Singing ability is a plus.

KIT | Colombian American | Plays 17 | Female-presenting
The mysterious new girl. Independent, guarded, observant, and effortlessly cool. Kit enters an established circle of friends carrying her own complicated history. Her arrival changes the group's dynamics in ways none of them anticipate.
Seeking a Latine performer, particularly someone of Colombian or Colombian American heritage.

Additional Roles
We will also be holding auditions for the following characters. These roles have different rehearsal and performance requirements from the four principal roles.

PABLO ESCOBAR | Colombian | Plays 40s-50s | Male-presenting
The infamous Colombian drug lord, as imagined and summoned by the girls. An imposing, charismatic, and disturbing presence.
Seeking a Latine performer with strong Spanish-language skills.

PIPE'S LITTLE SISTER | Cuban American | Child
Pipe's younger sister. Bright, precocious, imaginative, and full of life. A significant presence in the play's exploration of memory and grief.
Seeking a young performer who can portray a child. Additional casting details and requirements will be shared directly These additional roles will be considered through a separate audition process. Performers interested in either role should indicate their interest when registering.

Compensation
This is a paid, non-Equity production. Performers will receive a flat stipend for their participation:
- Principal performers (Pipe, Squeeze, Zoom, Kit): $700 each
- Pablo Escobar: $450
- Pipe's Little Sister: $350

Stipends cover scheduled rehearsals, technical rehearsals, performances, and strike as applicable. Payment details will be outlined in individual performer agreements.

Content Advisory
Our Dear Dead Drug Lord contains mature themes and material, including strong language, drug-related subject matter, violence, grief, sexuality, and disturbing imagery.

The production may involve staged physical contact, intimacy, and emotionally intense scenes.

Backyard Theatre Company is committed to a collaborative rehearsal process that respects performer boundaries. Physical and intimate staging will be developed with clear communication and consent.