Playwrights parade in 'Petting Zoo' New concept offers fresh theater talent chance to go wild

Author: Ellen Grafton

The Hepburn Zoo hosted a new sort of production last weekend. On March 10 and 11, audiences filled the house for "The Petting Zoo: A Workshop," which featured six new plays written by Middlebury students.

Each play lasted about 10 minutes and had its own cast and director. Similar to the annual First Year Show of the fall, all actors involved in "The Petting Zoo" had never performed on a Middlebury stage. Julia Proctor '06.5, who organized the event, commented that she hoped this stipulation would afford new Feb students a chance to be exposed to the theater community.

"I am a Feb and I felt left out from theatre when I first arrived on campus since we do not have the same introduction to the department like September students do," Proctor said. "So I wanted to provide that opportunity for the new Febs to get involved with the Zoo during their first semester."

Proctor worked with Visiting Lecturer of Theater Dana Yeaton to select the plays to be presented. The actors performed with the scripts in hand to highlight the new plays as the primary focus of the show. On the benefits of presenting the pieces this way, Proctor said, "This [the staged reading] puts the emphasis on the play while still providing freedom and opportunity for the new actors."

The plays varied greatly in style and subject, though most tended towards the comedic rather than tragic. "Girl Troubles," by Elliot Turley '06, combined the stresses of a young adult relationship with the apocalypse to great comic effect.

"From a Big Book" by Lucas Kavner, '06.5 proved to be one of the heaviest moments of the night as it explored the challenges of an oncologist who cares too deeply for a dying patient. The actors' dedication to a realistic style and the moments of humor within the script lent the scene a contemplative and sympathetic feel rather than one of self-pity or melodrama.

"On the True Nature of Olives: A Discourse" by Willie Orbison '08 had one of the biggest laughs of the night for a joke about the word "thrice." Successful comic wit was typical of the piece, which centered on issues of love and friendship and some unlikely advice from a Greek short-order cook.

"The Human" by Zach Maxwell '07 launched into an experimental style in which an actress portrays a man's psyche. The tense and provocative piece featured a series of short scenes in which a man's mind drowns him in a relentless torrent of opinions, observations and associations.

The slapstick humor in "Charades" by Jocey Florence '06 kept the audience laughing, particularly at the antics of Joe Bergan '07.5 as a clueless little brother who dwarfed most of the cast.

The night ended with the strange philosophical possibilities of a CVS sign and its followers in "Getting There" by Jake Jeppson '06.

Though there were a few jokes that didn't quite work and some moments that seemed a little strained onstage, the audience's general consensus was one of admiration for the work produced entirely by Middlebury students.

"The Petting Zoo" afforded both a night of entertainment and a chance for new playwrights to observe the reactions of a real audience to their work. On the communal benefits of the show, Proctor said, "New actors bring new audiences and it was great to see new faces in the Zoo on both sides of the lights. The Zoo provides incredible opportunities for students interested in producing their own work and it is important for us to utilize that space and our own communal resources to their maximum potential. I hope the 'Petting Zoo' becomes a tradition to provide a showcase for new student work."

Other shows to grace the Zoo this spring include "The Project," the senior work of Daniel diTomasso '06 and Lucas Kavner '06.5, the musical "Into the Woods" and other student productions.