the beautiful land i seek (la linda tierra que busco yo)

Teatro Chelsea announces our production of

the beautiful land i seek (la linda tierra que busco yo), by Matthew Barbot.

Performances run from Friday, October 31 to Sunday, November 16, 2025.

Preview Performance: October 31st

Opening: November 1st

Thursday, Friday, Saturday @ 7:30pm

Sunday @ 3pm

Estimated Runtime: 95min w/ no intermission

Performed in English with a bit of Spanish.

THE STORY: It’s 1950. Oscar and Gris hurtle towards Washington, DC on a mission: strike in the name of Puerto Rican independence. When their trip goes off the rails, the two men confront familiar faces from the past, new questions about the future, and a tough decision to stay the course or get off the train. If only the other passengers would stop interrupting! Loosely based on historical events and definitely based on recent ones, the beautiful land i seek (la linda tierra que busco yo) is a funny, gripping rollercoaster ride through Puerto Rico’s relationship to the United States.

Matthew Barbot is a writer from Brooklyn, NY. His play El Coquí Espectaculare and the Bottle of Doom(Kennedy Center Darrel Ayers Award, Kennedy Center Latinidad Award) received its world premiere at Two River Theater in January of 2018. Infallibility (2018 Sheen Center Playwriting Fellowship) was selected as one of Indie Theater Now’s “Best of FringeNYC 2013.” Princess Clara of Loisaida (2018 Columbia@ Roundabout New Play Series) and Saints Go Marching were selected to feature on Steppenwolf’s The Mix list. The Venetians was a winner of Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2019 Columbia@Roundabout New Play Series. Recently, his short play A List of Some Shit I’ve Killed was published as part of the Red Bull Theater’s anthology Red Bull Shorts Volume III. Matt’s first play for young audiences, Stoo’s Famous Martian American Gumbo, was commissioned by Peppercorn Theatre and was produced in Summer 2019. Matt received his MFA from Columbia University and was recently a New York Theatre Workshop 2050 Fellow and a member of The Civilians’ R&D Group.

Elliot Norton award-winning director Armando Rivera, Co-Artistic director of Teatro Chelsea, leads a cast featuring Nathaniel Justiniano (Gris), Carlos Zalduondo(Oscar), Alexander Crespo Rosario II (Swing), and Ashley Aldarondo (Swing).

the beautiful land i seek (la linda tierra que busco yo) features scenic design by Peyton Tavares, lighting design by Andrea Sala, costume design by Kiara Escalera, Props Design by Emilia Sophia Amador and sound design by James Cannon.

About Teatro Chelsea:

Teatro Chelsea celebrates Latin cultures, showcases and fosters local talent, builds community in Chelsea through arts engagement and collaboration, and is establishing a hub for Latin artists in the Boston metropolitan area. Teatro Chelsea creates theatre at the crossroads of languages, cultures, and histories that make up the Latin experience, and seeks to amplify and honor the voices that speak to these unique experiences. (teatrochelsea.com)

The 2025 Season at Teatro Chelsea is made possible in part by the Barr Foundation, and the Culture & Community Power Fund.

Poster Art illustrated by Katiana Rodriguez www.boogiedownbaby.com

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