My overall impression
I knew going into “At Home At the Zoo” that the play didn’t have a lot of action and was primarily based on dialogue. It takes a very talented cast and great direction to keep an audience captivated for the entire show with this type of material. But I must say, this production was extremely successful in achieving this goal.
Phillip Wheeler (Peter) and Mirie Ben-Tzur (Ann) did an excellent job of making Act 1 fun yet uncomfortable at the same time. It was almost like hearing your parents talk about sex! Peter’s innocence was a sharp contrast to Ann’s sexual candidness, but as the act goes on you realize Peter isn’t as different from Ann as you think. They both are aware of their animal instincts.
Act 2 was simply incredible, primarily because of the impressive performance from Kip Canyon (Jerry). He brilliantly portrayed a seemingly lucid yet unabashadly insane character. His lengthy stories seemed to pass by in a flash due to Canyon’s animated and quick delivery.
The Director’s passion for this piece was apparent in the way the show was handled. The simplicity of the set let the audience focus on the core of the show – the dialogue. The transition between Act 1 and 2 was unique and well executed. The blocking and dynamic between the characters was authentic.
Overall, this show was a true success!
