Paul is from Puerto Rico but lives in New York. He dropped out of high school at the age of 15 because of severe bullying and fled away from his parents to America as soon as he was of age because of a troubled childhood with feeling restricted because of their Catholic ways. Where he has since discovered he is gay, has a natural talent for ballet and desperately wants to perform on stage after working as a drag artist at the Jewel Bow Revue. Paul describes himself as “terribly effeminate” but feels he must hide this from his parents and expresses that he knows Diana another auditionee well.
Paul tells a story about his time in drag and partway through this, his parents show up earlier than expected to drop off some luggage for the shows tour to Chicago and see him in costume. He tells Zach that despite the initial shock his family shows a modest acceptance and his father asks the producer to “take care of his son.” Telling this story leads Paul to then break down in tears in front of Zach and the line of dancers.
Paul is number 45 in the audition and I have put him in tight running leggings that pass as male ballet tights a blue Nike top and black ballet shoes as if he has run in straight from a morning ballet session in a studio a couple of blocks away as he’s always on the go raring with energy.