Plays and Players is thrilled to present Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story, their first fully produced non-co-production since 2017! This classic one-act explores themes of isolation, loneliness, miscommunication, social disparity and dehumanization in a materialistic world. A man (Kevin Bergen) sits peacefully reading in the sunlight in Central Park. There enters a second man (Robert DaPonte). He is a young, unkempt and undisciplined vagrant where the first is neat, ordered, well-to-do and conventional. The vagrant is a soul in torture and rebellion. He longs to communicate so fiercely that he frightens and repels his listener. He is a man drained of all hope who, in his passion for company, seeks to drain his companion. With provocative humor and unrelenting suspense, the young savage slowly, but relentlessly, brings his victim down to his own atavistic level as he relates a story about his visit to the zoo.
“What happens when two people of two backgrounds meet and hope to find understanding? What happens when we allow people to be who they are but also [explore] the theme of nature vs nurture? Those themes are still very relevant and applicable to today’s society, and we can see ourselves in these characters,” says director Steven A. Wright.
Performances will be in the Skinner Studio (3rd floor) April 3rd to 14th, with 7:30pm shows Wednesday through Saturday, and 3pm shows Sundays. Tickets are $25, with discounts and free tickets available for Plays & Players’ members. There are also a limited number of Pay What You Decide tickets available through Philly Theatre Week. Click here for tickets.
About the Cast
Kevin Bergen (Peter) has been a member of Plays and Players for many years and a bartender at P&P’s Quig’s Pub since 2016. He is a member of the Resident Ensemble of Artists at People’s Light, where he has performed in dozens of productions, including Man from Nebraska, for which he was nominated for a Barrymore Award, and, most recently, Lettie. He makes his home in West Philadelphia and has appeared on many of the city’s stages including: The Walnut Street Theatre, The Wilma Theatre, Arden Theatre Company, Bristol Riverside Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, InterAct, Quintessence Theatre, Simpatico Theatre Project, Tiny Dynamite, Shakespeare In Clark Park, and Revolution Shakespeare. He has performed at numerous Regional Theatres, among them: The Shakespeare Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, The Studio Theatre, Theatre J, and American Stage Theatre Company. Kevin is a graduate of the American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard.
Robert DaPonte (Jerry) has been an actor and devisor in Philadelphia theater for over 15 years. He has performed for Philadelphia Theatre Company (Rizzo), People’s Light (Pride and Prejudice), The Wilma (MacBeth), Theatre Exile (American Buffalo) and EgoPo (Spring Awakening) just to name a few. He has created original works such as The Jaws Project (with MK Tuomanen and Sam Henderson), The Giant Squid (with The Berserker Residents) and The Ballad of Joe Hill (with Swim Pony). Regionally he has performed for Hartford Children’s Theater (Treasure Island) and Playhouse on Park (This Is Our Youth). He studied at The National Theater Institute in Waterford, CT.
About Plays & Players
Right off Rittenhouse Square, Plays & Players Theatre at 1714 Delancey Street, was designed and constructed in 1912 by Philadelphia architect, Amos W. Barnes. Originally opened as a dramatic school it was soon used as a theater for Broadway try-outs. Plays & Players purchased the “Little Theatre of Philadelphia” in 1922 and has performed here ever since. Plays & Players began in 1911 as a social club devoted to expanding and developing new theater experiences for and by its membership. We present plays, readings, dance and music on our two stages, the mainstage proscenium, which seats 298, and the black box Skinner Studio on the third floor. We continue in our mission, as a member-driven, community based organization to provide a safe space for members, audience and local artists to engage socially and experience an inclusive, vibrant array of artistic programming. By preserving our historic home we provide a space of inspiration for artists to create and perform throughout their careers.
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