Listen Up, New York....

Next up for Lee Daniels, who directed the film "Shadowboxer" (that was the inspiration of this very blog you're reading) is "Push", based on the novel of the same name by Sapphire.

It is a graphic account of a young black woman growing up in a cycle of incest and abuse.

They are currently open-casting for someone to play the lead, not just a name actress (though I can't think of too many name teen-aged black actresses). It is a very tough role, as the teenager, named T, has been raped by her father since she was seven years old. She's also been abused and battered by her mother, horribly. Sapphire (legally known as Ramona Lofton) explained to 'Interview' magazine in 1996. "In addition, she's slipped through all the cracks in the educational system. So at sixteen, when the novel begins, she's still in junior high, unable to read and write, and pregnant with her father's child. She wants to stay in school just in the hope of someday getting to be a part of something, but they kick her out because she's pregnant. And then she goes to an alternative school, where she's allowed to have her innocence back. And these older women and fellow outcasts who are in the class embrace her. So she goes from being this object of ridicule and abuse to being like the baby."

Daniels and his team at the New York City-based Lee Daniels Entertainment were in The Big Apple holding open casting calls at the Harlem Renaissance High School (located at 22 East 128th Street, New York, NY 10035) on July 10. "We're seeking Plus Size African-American Girls between 15-18 years of age," all interested parties who fit the description can contact them via email at: Push@tribecacasting.com.

Filming for "Push" is set to begin in New York City this fall.