Cristobal is a wild-eyed gaucho hustler convicted of various crimes, including stealing original Charles Darwin manuscripts from rare book libraries around the world. Why? Because he’s convinced he’s the great-great-great-great (bastard) grandson of the father of Natural Selection. As part of his sentence he must deliver a public apology, during which he digresses, with flamboyant intensity and bawdy humor, into the story of his life, growing up as an orphan in Tierra del Fuego and inadvertently becoming an expert Darwinologist, exploiting every opportunity to prove (and cash in on) his unbelievable pedigree. The play is a tango-tinged dance of life, a fresh take on some of Darwin’s ideas about the struggle for survival, sexual selection, the origin of species, and the descent of man. DARWINII is smart, hilarious, and … one of the most mesmerizing pieces of theater this town has seen in a decade … A wholly original and profoundly funny journey to the center of your very own D N A. -The Plain Dealer, Cleveland In just 70 minutes, this one-man tour de force spins you through a funny and thought-provoking story involving Charles Darwin, his still (!) controversial ideas, and the dangers of getting up in somebody’s niche. An immediate contender for the title of Most Enjoyable and Engrossing 70 Minutes on Stage in 2011. -Cleveland Scene It’s great theatre, creative literary invention, and a fun experience. DARWINII is one of those fascinating pieces of theatricality that is a delight to behold. -Cool Cleveland The plot smoothly shifts from hilarity to seriousness, revealing the underlying themes of the comedy. ‘I did not appear out of nothing!’ Cristobal shouts in frustration and defiance, sharing his desperate attempts at finding not only the origin of his species, but the origin of himself. -The Oberlin Review
