The Zoo Story disappoints, but experience worthwhile

By Lisa Angelucci
Collegian Editor
November 1, 2006

At first glance, the Red Room at the Society Hill Playhouse is nothing special. The room’s not really red at all, although some of the furniture and decoration have red in them. The stage is small and located in one corner of the room. The seats are spread along the two opposite walls. The only good view is from the few seats in the front rows.

At second glance, the Red Room is still nothing special. But that turns out to be part of its charm.

From Oct. 20-Nov. 18, BCKSEET Productions, the resident theater company at the Society Hill Playhouse, is putting on Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story in the Red Room.

The Zoo Story is a once-popular production that is not performed often anymore. Unless, like me, you have taken an English class that focuses on despair and the absurd, chances are you’ve never even heard of it.

The show is a short one, and is typically part of a double bill so guests feel like they’re actually getting their money’s worth. However, BCKSEET wanted the audience to be able to focus on the play’s message more clearly, so they are combining the show with a short skit written by Jonathan Reynolds.

The 10-minute skit has twice as many words in its title than minutes in the show. Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey Part II or How We Got America’s Most Wanted and The New York Post has only four actors, two of which play two parts each.

The premise of the play surrounds three Australian boys auditioning for acceptance in a prestigious British school. The actors poke fun at Australians and journalists, which provides a few good laughs, but does little to illuminate the point of the show. I’ll be the first to admit that I am naïve about what makes good theater, but I though the skit was downright baffling.

The Zoo Story is an absurdist play that makes less sense yet is still more accessible. The entire show includes only two characters and takes place on a park bench in New York City’s Central Park. The men are both strangers to each other, but the plot surrounds the conversation that one man, Jerry, starts with the other man, Peter, after Jerry’s visit to the Central Park Zoo.

The simple setting allows the audience to focus its attention on the dialogue between the two characters. The stage is equipped only with a park bench, and the lighting enhances the atmosphere of a sunny Sunday afternoon. There is a support beam in the middle of the room that has been conveniently disguised as a tree for this performance.

The actors both portray their characters well. Gene D’Alessandro’s Jerry is a slightly neurotic, lonely man who desperately wants to make a connection with another human being, while Mark Cairns accurately depicts Peter as an uptight, upper middle class family man who is uncomfortable with anything that goes against the norm. Both characters are extreme caricatures, but the good acting helps make them more realistic, and even a little believable.

My biggest complaint is that the play is boring in many parts. It involves frequent monologues by Jerry, which seem dry once it becomes clear that Jerry’s monologues make up the bulk of the play. His stories tend to be unusual enough to hold the audience’s attention, but his rambles could put viewers into a doze.

Another drawback was the sound ofMenopause: The Musical from overhead. The shows were happening simultaneously, and the Red Room is not insulated enough to keep out the extra noise. The music and the stomping of the dancers was a frequent distraction, especially during the quieter parts of the show.

Overall, the best part of The Zoo Story was the experience as a whole. I’m not a regular theatergoer, and it can be intimidating to attend an independent production like this one. It usually seems like everyone knows each other already, and outsiders aren’t as welcome.

However, the cast and crew in the Red Room were incredibly welcoming, and everyone at the Society Hill Playhouse immediately made the audience feel at ease. Those over 21 were encouraged to bring their drinks into the theater with them, and the artistic director was on hand to answer questions and chat with the audience.

The Zoo Story plays Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30. Admission is $21, which includes a drink (non-alcoholic drinks are available if you’re underage) and a $1 donation to the Philadelphia Zoo.

angeluccil1@lasalle.edu