Overview
Pablo and Owen thought they were in for a simple double date with two women they’d just met at a bar. Instead, under the cover of night, something ancient is watching them. Something hungry.
For Pablo, the darkness hides more than just nerves—it holds a past he’s spent years trying to outrun. When the Chupacabra emerges from the shadows, the night turns to terror, and their evening spirals into a desperate fight for survival. But this is no ordinary monster. It is hunger and grief. It is guilt and memory. It is the thing Pablo has feared facing ever since the night he lost his little brother.
As the creature closes in, the men must confront not just the beast, but their own buried truths—about where they come from, what they want, and what they are willing to do to stay alive. Because sometimes, the most relentless monsters are the ones we carry inside.
Casting & Production
Casting
PABLO — In his 30s, but 18 in flashbacks. Proud enough to make your abuela cry. Bi, maybe. Masculinity drips from him like sweat in a sauna. This dreamer landed in the US when he was kid. Lost his little brother at 18 on his watch which haunts him like a ghost he can’t shake. Always lived close to the earth, near farms. Quiet as a whisper at work, with a storm brewing inside.
OWEN — 30s. This dude’s been through the ringer. Married. Kids. But don’t think for a second he’s got his shit together. Bi? Maybe. But he won’t be cornered with labels. Daddy issues? More like a daddy hurricane tearing through his soul. Swears he scared off a cougar once, but his own microaggressions are scarier. Excuses? None, zilch, nada.
MR. SANCHEZ — 30s and full of tales that’d make your skin crawl. He appears only in flashback. He’s lived it, breathed it, and barely slept a wink. Might be a bit loco, watching a beast circle his property every night. Is he running from it, feeding it, or in cahoots?
CHUPACABRA — A fucking nightmare. We catch glimpses. We hear more. A full-on reveal happens once. Spidery eyes, a shadow that could swallow your soul, teeth and claws like a demonic butcher’s tools. Was it summoned to remind us of our roots or to shred colonizers like paper? Maybe both.
Casting Note:
The Chupacabra is never on stage when all three actors are. This gives you a choice: let whoever isn’t in the scene play the monster, or cast a fourth actor to embody the nightmare, as we did in the original run. But do not list the Chupacabra in the program. Not in publicity. Not anywhere. Otherwise the jump scare at the end will not work. List the actors playing Pablo, Owen, and Mr. Sanchez only as those characters. If you bring in a fourth performer, credit them only as Creature Creation.
Setting
PLACE
Just outside Riverside, California.
TIME
2010 with flashbacks to 1998.
Reviews
“Complicated, sexy, and terrifying, GOAT BLOOD takes its audience down dark paths, constantly shifting what you’re afraid of (or who), who you’re afraid for, and why. The present day scenes and flashbacks feed each other cunningly, and the pacing remains tight throughout; meanwhile the various tensions—life-or-death, sure, but also cultural and sexual—will keep you leaning in all the way to end. An unsettling winner.”
—Vince Gatton, Playwright
“At turns atmospheric and creepy, insightful and witty. It is not only a gripping tale of terror, but also a relatable, astute look at the complexity of modern-day relationships in the queer community and beyond.”
—Jim Catapano, Arts Independent
“A play that is both a legit spooky horror story as well as having important themes of pride in one’s cultural heritage. A thrill ride with bursts of comedy and sensuality.”
—Duncan Pflaster, Playwright
