THE LORIS
The slow loris of Southeast Asia is closely related to sloths and lemurs. It is the only venomous species of primate in the world. Lorises are extremely sensitive to light and do horribly in captivity. In fact, in most countries, it is illegal to keep lorises as pets. Unfortunately, demand is high for cute big-eyed lorises because of a recent spike in cute loris videos on YouTube.

When a loris feels threatened, he raises his arms and secretes venom. This instinctual fight-or-flight reaction is often mistaken as the loris reacting adorably to “tickling.” The illegal loris trade is unregulated and cares little about the animals’ well-being. Before being sold as pets, lorises have their teeth clipped to strip them of their one defense - their poisonous bite. Unfortunately 9 out of 10 black-market lorises die from complications of this procedure or the resulting starvation.
 

THE PROBLEM
The Loris' cuteness has become a curse for the species. Lorises appear docile in viral videos, but their apparent passiveness, raising their arms, is actually a defense mechanism. The problem we need to solve is simply: get people to understand that "this" is NOT cute.

THE SOLUTION
Through humor and music, we tell the story of the Loris. Music, when used correctly, has the ability to resonate on a deep level with audiences. Groups like ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) have been causing viewers to change channels for years. But is guilt the best emotion to tap into in order to accomplish their communication goals? The public has come to resent these types of pleas. It's not creative or interesting to just show sad animals behind bars. It’s far more compelling to give the animal their own voice, in a way that is humorous and fun to watch.

More scenes from the production

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Based on the posters of iconic Broadway musicals (Lion King, Hamilton, Evita!, Cats etc)

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