Hepburn Zoo Finally Reveals Their Secret Project

Author: Crystalyn Radcliffe

It's dark. You cannot know what image will appear in front of you when you are allowed to see again. The fading lights leave you with one image, quickly skipping to another after a short interlude of blindness. You are no longer in control of your visual experience: you must watch.

A series of short acts entitled "TSeProTNISTKA — The Secret Project That Nobody Is Supposed to Know About" played at the Hepburn Zoo on March 14 to 16. The show was seniors David Gaddas and Nicholas Olson's 700-level theater project. They packed the Zoo each night for a little over two hours of high-energy, unpredictable fun. The play was also an interactive affair, with the actors speaking directly to and about the people in the audience.

The first act was comprised of four short scenes directed by Gaddas with one scene guest-directed by Tim Brownell '02. The stage props were limited and sparse, providing for easy transitions between scenes and a greater emphasis on the acting. The backdrop, a simple, transparent sheet, did not serve a practical purpose until the second act. In the opening scene the only props on stage were a desk, some writing materials and books. These props were augmented throughout the rest of the first act with several black boxes, typewriters and bean bag chairs, simple tools that efficiently and effectively signified a change in scene.

For the entirety of the first act the audience was bombarded with different images and comedic situations. Memorable moments included Zoe Anastassiou '03 as a chimpanzee, hilariously and overtly scratching her bottom while chomping feverishly on multiple apples; Gaddas and Olson stripped down to their boxer briefs and tied together in the middle of the stage, and references by Olson and Greg Engert '02 to the television show "Gilligan's Island" as a metaphor for life. All four scenes had the audience frequently bursting into laughter.

The second act, directed by Olson, proved to be the darker and more abstract of the two. Chris Timberlake '01.5 played a psychotic computer hacker and the play's narrator. In this act, the seemingly insignificant transparent sheet now created a sense of an omnipresent narrator in the background and increased the role of the invisible hacker as an all-seeing and all-knowing being. Lighting was a crucial component to the visual effect of this act, as tables and chairs were arranged to create a shadowy contrast of black and white, adding to the feelings of cold and isolation that the characters embodied. The props were limited, including only a few pieces of furniture, a computer and several liquor bottles, but effective in adding to the theme of detachment.

The second act was substantially longer than the first and appeared at times to be lacking in intensity. Timberlake's presence was greatly felt throughout the performance and on stage. Wearing an electric blue shirt to complement his dyed blue hair and bright yellow shoes, he made a very believable neurotic. He stood in crisp contrast to his counterpart, Gaddas, who played Joseph Elliot, a wealthy business man. Sheila Seles '05, who played opposite Gaddas as his wife, often seemed overmatched by her male counterparts on stage. This impression was strengthened by her overall presence on stage, which was reinforced by her oversized business suit and small stature.

Overall, the two acts showed a diversity of acting and directing abilities and left the audience with the general impression of having been well entertained. Upon leaving, one felt a little overwhelmed by the rapid change of scenes and the discrepancy between one scene and the next, which created a lingering sense of discontinuity.