A NEW SHOW BY
EDU DÍAZ
THE TRUE STORY THAT INSPIRED 'THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
PETRUS is a new show in development looking for partners, funding, and a savage team.
Welcome to the Menagerie!
With a rare condition that covers his face and body with hair, Petrus lives captive in the Royal menagerie of the French Court, surrounded by exotic animals.
When King Henri II dies,
Queen Catherine of Médici faces economic issues. With the assistance of the forgetful seer
Nostradamus, her loyal advisor, the Queen uses Petrus as a claim to attract investors and stabilize the Court´s finances.
The spectacles created by the Queen are successful, and Petrus and his extraordinary abilities are popular. But the Queen's ambition has no ceiling, and the shows become wildly extravagant. A forced marriage between the furry and
Kate, a young and bold courtesan, will be the last straw.
Kate will open Petrus’s eyes, planting a seed of
rebellion at the menagerie. They will plan to stand up against the abusive Queen, free the animals, and live their lives with a so far, stolen dignity.
PETRUS is a metatheatrical show addressing displacement, abuse of power, and ecological justice. The characters and the animals strive to survive in the context of a cultural and climate collapse, as everyone is
out of context.
Petrus
He speaks Spanish, French, Latin, and the language of all the animals. However, he doesn’t know how to communicate his feelings and ignores his uniqueness. He will do anything to please everyone, especially the Queen.
The Queen
Intensely frustrated, Catherine De Médici needs to be loved and, above all, admired. She will do anything to prove she is as genius as her illustrious ancestors and won't hesitate to reach her goals and be the best Médici in history.
Nostradamus
He is such a good man, but he needs the Queen's success to pay his bills. Although his magical mirror is awesomely accurate and his fame is well deserved, his predictions fail due to early dementia.
Kate
Everyone thinks she is as fragile and innocent as she looks, but Kate is a strong kid with a torturous past. She looks for justice and will plant a seed of revolution to break the status quo in the court.
PETRUS is a historical tragicomedy with doses of horror that blends clown, improv, drag, and puppetry.
About Petrus Gonsalvus
PETRUS explores and imagines biographical gaps in the real -and tragic- story of Petrus Gonsalvus, aka ‘the man of the woods.’
His story began in Tenerife (Canary Islands) in the 16th century. Affected by hypertrichosis, Petrus was sold as an exotic creature -with only ten years old- to the court of Henry II of France.
The King kept him in the menagerie with the exotic animals of the Court. However, Petrus was brilliant and learned Math, Science, French, and Latin.
A beautiful courtesan was forced to marry the
Beast. They had several children, some of whom, as furry as Petrus, were gifted to other European Courts.
You probably guessed that this story inspired the first version of
The Beauty and the Beast, written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot.
Five centuries later, another native from Tenerife is imagining a show around his last years in the French Court.
A REAL-TIME HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT
2014 | Tenerife, Canary Islands
My mom showed me a dusty book about Petrus Gonsalvus and suggested his story be a show.
2022 | New York City
Because of my new circumstance as an immigrant, I was inspired to write early versions of the play under the topic 'out of context'.
2024 | New York City
The Spanish Consulate in New York City intends to support the project.
Winter 2025 | New York City
I was invited to participate in Jeremy O'Harris's workshop, 'Writing the Black Play,' at the multi-awarded company Tectonic Theatre Project.
Spring 2025 | New York City
PETRUS got selected for the 10-week Writer's Intensive at
THE WORKSHOP THEATRE
Let´s connect!
I'm looking for a creative and production team for this savage adventure. If you want to join the PETRUS team, let's talk.
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70
minutes
+13
tbd
English
Spanish
Italian
LOUD
& BRIGHT
lights