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The Ensemble Theatre is picking up where it left off after its impressive, inaugural season. This company, a mix of seasoned professionals and their young proteges, is mounting modern and contemporary plays that showcase all of their talents and messages. Some of their choices are daring, some seemingly impossible, but they are determined to raise the level of theatre in the valley.
Their latest choice is the interesting, though now somewhat dated, hour-long one act play by alienation expert Edward Albee [Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe]. The play, one of his earliest, pits the somewhat disconnected, slightly crazed transient Jerry against the staid, uptight and closed-off lower-upper-class Peter. The two perform a tentative dance of exploration after this chance encounter at a bench in Central Park. Jerry generally controls the situation, revealing more and more of himself, becoming sequentially in turns comedian, storyteller, villain and eventual anti-hero, while the emotionally blocked Peter is drawn into Jerry's cavernous need to become connected to people in some way, very soon. The script is virtually unknown, and rarely produced, though people in theatre are very familiar with the long monologue in the middle, usually called "The Story of Jerry and the Dog," which is constantly used by actors in auditions.
The major problem with the play, which predates the general societal fear of strangers now prevalent in this day and age, depends on a chance encounter with a slightly crazed stranger and a stable everyman allowing himself to be subjected to this situation for almost an hour. The script now shows its age, since anyone in their right mind would leave long before the action of the piece began. Tom Blackwood, playing the staid Peter, and director Tim Hart, overcome this obstacle by accepting the underlying sexual tension of the piece, letting that come to the front a little more readily, which almost makes the play work.
The most impressive part of this production is the almost choreographed pacing of the piece. When done incorrectly, the play can seem endless, but Mr. Hart's balanced, careful movement of action and situation help to keep the play moving at a crisp pace. If anything, the play may have been a bit too choregraphed, as even Jerry's stutterings and halting ways seemed to have been rehearsed precisely. While this helps keep everything moving, the music of the dialogue seemed to be less spontaneous.
As the explosive Jerry, Mike Prindiville is frenetic yet entertaining. While his halting way of speaking seems a bit too calculated, he is able to keep the audience on the edge of their seats with his seemingly scattershot approach to life. He is funny when needed, yet always maintains the ominous charm that makes the part the kind that auditioners love to use.
As the uptight Peter, Tom Blackwood manages to capture the essence of Peter's rigid world and order. This difficult role, which depends on an actor with good reactionary skills, is well handled, and despite the inconsistencies in situation, Mr. Blackwood generally never allows the audience the chance to notice them.
Ian England's sparse lighting is effective, and Rich Howard's sound works well, although the choice of music at the beginning of the show seems unnecessary.
Despite showing its age, The Zoo Story is an interesting script, and the interaction between its two characters and the message of the play are timeless. The professionalism of The Ensemble Theatre is welcome, and their odd production choices are usually enjoyable. It will be interesting to see what direction this company will take through the rest of this season.
Production Details:
The Zoo Story by Edward Albee
The Ensemble Theatre
The Scottsdale Center for the Arts Cinema Space, Scottsdale
994-2787
November 7th through November 23rd, 1997
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