Review - Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo: Homelife & The Zoo Story

We all know how I love Edward Albee's plays.  No need to go over that again.  When my favorite theater, Signature, announced they would be doing the Homelife/The Zoo Story combo this season, I made sure to mark my calendar for the day single tickets went on sale.  And after they announced the cast?  I was even MORE excited to see the show!  Last night was the appointed night...

I've only seen The Zoo Story once in my life, though I've read it dozens of times over the years.  The only time I've seen it, however, was when Second Stage premiered the new play, Homelife, starring Bill Pullman, back in 2007.  I remember enjoying the production and performances, though was perhaps iffy on why we needed a prequel at all.  You can remind yourself of my thoughts on that evening HERE, when I shared them after Albee's passing.  When I think back on that production, though, I'm a little less positive than I am in that review about at least one performance.  And after seeing the show last night, I'm even less positive about the previous production because last night was simply fantastic.

photo credit: Joan Marcus

Two of my very favorite stage actors, Robert Sean Leonard and Katie Finneran, are starring in the first act, Homelife, and they are terrific.  They're naturally funny and find the humor so easily, yet they can turn deadly serious on a dime, and not seem false.  They are instantly recognizable and comfortable together, and they are so at ease with the fascinating random non-sequitors they throw at each other until they finally land on something concrete.  Her ennui with him, and his satisfaction with their lives are so spontaneously performed, the words just sounded so fresh and new to me.  And his revelation about a moment from his past was beautifully delivered.  And so illuminating about everything that follows.  Throughout, I was thinking "wow, that last production just kind of got this wrong," which isn't a very nice thing to think, I guess, but this time my eyes were opened to why this prequel could be important.  Understanding why Peter responds the way he does in the second act, and understanding why he'd be willing to stake a claim on something as inconsequential as a bench.  Not that everything has to be understandable, and wanting more can be a good thing, but I just really enjoyed how each piece played off the other.

Since I saw the show the first time before my surgery, hearing the extended diatribes about voluntary double mastectomies hit me in a different and personal way than they did before, which is understandable.  I actually didn't even remember that section of the script - I was sort of snapped into a different kind of attention.  But now really understanding the loss and bewilderment that Ann is talking about is something else I could bring to the first act and then be able to tie it into the second.  

photo credit: Joan Marcus

Of course, The Zoo Story remains as funny and as terrifying as ever.  Again, I love Robert Sean Leonard and I found him to be perfection.  His reactions were so natural and so engaging - even with very few lines, you could see his surprised delight at the verbal sparring, the privilege just seeping out of him and the stubborn terror that begins much too late.  I also greatly enjoyed Paul Sparks' Jerry, who I thought found a terrific balance of smart, funny, scary and sad.  His aria about the dog was spectacular and then the ending was so poignant.  This man, literally dying for a connection to another human, is an amazing theatrical creation.  The way Albee uses language, in both acts, is masterful.  Obviously.  I loved every minute of watching the show.

After the performance, there was a talkback, with a lit manager from Signature, and Katie Finneran and Paul Sparks.  It was actually a fun event, because Finneran is so quirky and interesting, and is just really naturally funny.  One of the questions was from a gent on the side of the house that perhaps had a harder time seeing everything that was going on, and suddenly Finneran had a whole comedy routine based around how the gent must not have been paying attention to her, then Sparks joined in, saying he had done the entire dog aria, imagining the dog was in that particular gent's lap and if he didn't notice, well... It was pretty funny and the gent was a very good sport about the ribbing (and after the talkback was over, Finneran walked over to him and asked him, seriously, if he felt he missed something because of the staging; it was very sweet).  There was one woman, definitely younger than me, who had no idea that these weren't new plays and she was a bit offended that there weren't any women in Zoo Story and did perhaps the #metoo movement get discussed at all in rehearsal?  I have to admit I looked at that woman with astonishment.  How can anyone who is going to Signature Theatre not know Zoo Story?!  I guess it's a good thing I wasn't on the panel, I may have involuntarily rolled my eyes at her.  Finneran's answer was very thoughtful and way more respectful than I probably would've been.  She did talk about how she and the director, the wonderful Lila Neugebauer, discussed how to make Ann a fully three-dimensional character, even without a lot of dialogue.  And it seemed to me that Ann now was more of an equal to Peter, with Finneran's very smart and very warm performance.  I may be remembering incorrectly, but the characters were played with more of a chill in the other production I saw, and I can honestly say I prefer this interpretation.  Other people may disagree, I guess.  I only know that I'm ever so glad I saw (the very awkwardly titled) Edward Albee's At Home At The Zoo: Homelife & The Zoo Story.  It paid homage to a great writer and showed even more facets of his talent.  Long may he wave.