CPAC’s ‘At Home at the Zoo’ opens March 2

CPAC’s ‘At Home at the Zoo’ opens March 2

 

COOKEVILLE – “We should talk.”

 

Thus begins an evening with the Cookeville Performing Arts Center’s Backstage Series production of Edward Albee’s “At Home at the Zoo,” which opens March 2 at 7:30 p.m.

The play, directed by CPAC’s Kimberly Frick-Welker, combines American Playwright Edward Albee’s classic “The Zoo Story” with its prequel, “Homelife,” prompting audience members to open a dialogue about relationships.

“Albee, with his trademark dark humor and thrusts of brutality, is known for exploring relationships – the love and cruelty we inflict on each other every day,” Frick-Welker said.

In Act II, “The Zoo Story” – which was written in 1958, 45 years before “Homelife” – Peter is reading peacefully on a bench in New York’s Central Park, where he is approached by Jerry, an unkempt and undisciplined vagrant who is eager to share his observations of human (and animal) behavior, including his own. He tells tale after tale, each more lurid than the next, forever altering Peter’s life.

The cast includes John Fowler in his first leading role as Peter. Prudence van Aalten, a Tennessee Tech University theater professor who moved to Cookeville four years ago from New York City, plays Ann while Cookeville stage veteran James Alder plays Jerry.

“(This play) requires actors who are willing to become vulnerable,” Frick-Welker said. “You simply cannot do Albee without exploring your own behavior and that of people you know. So, in casting this show, it was imperative that I select three strong individuals who had the confidence to expose themselves to one another emotionally while also possessing the chemistry required to make their interaction believable. With John, Prudence and James, I believe we have the best of the best in this town… I simply could not be more pleased.”

The actors are pleased as well.

“This tightly woven relational story entices you with thought-provoking depth and provocative candor,” Fowler said.  “I’m humbled to work with Prudence and James as we capture the essence and energy of the characters Albee presents.”

“Challenging and exciting” was how van Aalten described her role.

“Edward Albee is one of our greatest American playwrights,” she said. “He wrote such incredible, complex, deeply unsettled characters, which gives an actor a lot to dig into.”

Alder said, “Jerry is a dream role for me, one that I’ve wanted to attempt for many years. Edward Albee is my favorite contemporary American playwright, and I’m excited to do him justice.”

CPAC’s Backstage Series productions offer audiences an opportunity to experience theater in the intimacy of the backstage setting.

“Patrons actually sit on stage, which allows that incredible energy between actor and audience to become even more palpable,” Frick-Welker said. “‘At Home at the Zoo,” with its minimal set requirements and only three actors, beautifully allows for this intimate experience.”

She’s happy to be able to present it to Cookeville audiences.

“I have long wanted to perform in or direct an Albee play and pay tribute, so I must thank (Cookeville Leisure Services Cultural Arts Superintendent) Chad McDonald, our producer, for entrusting me to direct Albee’s first play, along with one of his last, for an evening of emotional exploration. We hope people will come see the show. We believe the journey will prompt meaningful, timely dialogue afterward.”

“At Home at the Zoo” is produced by the City of Cookeville Department of Leisure Services’ Cultural Arts Division by special arrangement with Dramatist Play Service, Inc., New York. It contains adult language and content.

Following opening night on March 2, the show continues March 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. at 10 E. Broad St.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors ages 62 and up and $7 for full-time students in high school through college. Seating is limited.

CPAC Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at www.cpactn.com or by calling 931-528-1313.

 

PHOTO CUTLINE:

1. John Fowler as “Peter,” left, and James Alder as “Jerry” rehearse in the Cookeville Performing Arts Center’s Backstage Series production of “At Home at the Zoo,” which opens March 2.