Being Robin, a non-fiction movie described as “a love letter to Robin Williams” by filmmaker/performer Roger Kabler, will be shown at The Cabot in Beverly, MA on Saturday, February 18th at 7:30 pm.

Kabler says “Shortly after Robin’s passing, I was overcome by the feeling that I was possessed by his spirit. It was a remarkable experience that I still can’t explain. I made this movie as a sort of biography, which was pretty wild – and to try to understand what happened to me. ”

Described as “a giddy, unstoppable outpouring of free association, scatology, neediness, mawkishness, and comic genius,” by film critic Peter Keough, Being Robin tells Kabler’s story through archival footage, narration, and re-enactment of actual events.

As a teenager, Kabler was inspired by Robin Williams and decided to follow in his footsteps. By the 1980s and 1990s, Kabler was established in Hollywood as an actor and comedian, including appearances with Carol Burnett, The Tonight Show, and in movies such as Clueless. However, his career came to a crashing halt, resulting in a nervous breakdown, which is depicted in the film. Kabler left show business for many years, vowing to never return.

“But, when Robin passed, it all changed.” Kabler said in a recent interview, “First he showed up in dreams. Then when I was awake, images of him kept flashing in my mind and talking to me. At times I felt his presence so strongly, I felt possessed by him – involuntarily behaving like him. Alone or in front of people, with no warning, Robin would leap out and comment on what was going on, hijacking my mind and my body, sometimes hilariously and inappropriately. At moments I felt him experiencing life through me.”

“And finally I got scared. I yelled out ‘Robin, what are you doing here? What do you want from me?’ Robin just said ‘I want to get back to work. Let’s go’.”

Kabler admits, “I am bipolar – sometimes during a manic episode I may suffer from delusions. I started to doubt everything that was happening. I threw him out of my life for a period of time. Then it dawned on me. What if this was really Robin, who am I to deny him? What if he was asking me to help him, to help him come back? What ensued was writing and performing a tribute show that traveled across America, and the making of the film Being Robin.”

Veteran television writer/producer Gary Apple (The Simpsons) wrote “It’s a remarkable film, above all else, courageous. The story is as compelling as any Hollywood picture. Kabler is reenacting true episodes of his life but that doesn’t make the performance any less spectacular. It never rings false. It never feels written. It feels experienced, and as an audience member, I experienced it too. Sometimes it made me very uncomfortable, but he skillfully (artfully) is sharing his story and the dark side is part of that. I liked – or am relieved – how it ended…. a sensational work of theatre.

Prior to the screening at The Cabot, Kabler will perform a number of celebrity impressions in his trademark comedy routine Over-Actors Anonymous. He will then introduce the movie and after the screening will conduct a Q&A session. View the trailer here

Being Robin will be presented Saturday, February 18 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm) at The Cabot, 286 Cabot Street in Beverly, MA. Tickets and information are available at thecabot.org.