Otherland Theatre Ensemble's FORGIVE US, GUSTAVITO! Begins Next Week

Forgive us, Gustavito!, an outrageous animal noir will be performed by the Otherland Theatre Ensemble on June 19, 20, 26, and 28 at 7:30 p.m. and June 21, and 29 at 2 p.m. at Burning Coal Theatre, Raleigh NC as part of their Wait 'Til You See This! Series. Tickets are $10.

Inspired by bizarre true events, Forgive us, Gustavito! is set in the backdrop of a horrific crime. Gustavito, the solitary hippo of the National Zoo, was found dead from fifteen stab wounds to the snout. Join his twin brother Detective Emilio Hippo, the devastating Elvira Spider Monkey, Toto the Gentleman Gorilla and a whole host of Zoo friends for a story that is equal parts classic noir and outrageous animal madness. In the shadowy underbelly of the zoo, we ask the question, "what does it mean to be complicit in a system you cannot identify?"

Otherland Theatre Ensemble is a physical theatre devising company. Through transformative embodiment of larger-than-life characters, we tell stories of outcasts and underdogs moved by universal struggles in outrageous worlds. Otherland Ensemble's work is rooted in our ability to cherish the cultural differences of our individual members while simultaneously responding to global conversations that unite us.

Rebecca Finney is a physical theatre maker and somatic practitioner. She is honored to have served in ensemble and/or leadership roles in rural theater-of-place companies around the country, including: Bread and Puppet Theater, Dell'Arte International, and Roadside Theater. She currently serves as affiliated faculty in the Performing Arts at Emerson College and as a Physical Therapy student at North Shore Community College. She is a cat mom and loves the Blue Hills Nature Reservation just outside of Dorchester, MA, where she currently resides.

Lucius Robinson is a Princess Grace award-winning performer, director, writer, and teacher. He received his MFA from the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theater and is currently based in Baltimore, where he is a grateful primary school teacher for the city. He is beyond delighted to have the opportunity to return to this story with these people.

Tushar Mathew is a theatre maker and teaching artist from the state of Kerala, India. Tushar's teaching and creative pursuits often focuses on movement, physical embodiment, storytelling, and our relationship to the environment. His current preoccupations include re-framing narratives to center animal protagonists, dystopian worlds, and our relationships with our neighbors. Tushar is currently an Assistant Professor in the Performing Arts Department at Emerson College, Boston.