Zoo Story (Part 2) (Jerry and The Dog)

[@starlet1587]

Excellent performance!

[@quince911]

Thank you!

[@Carell117]

I really enjoyed this performance. I'm not sure how other commenters can claim that the Zoo Story isn't supposed to be funny, Jerry's warped outlook is quintessential black humour. Well directed and performed. Also Daisy Knighton is spot on with her observation that Albee explicitly leaves much up to the director in his stage directions

[@quince911]

Thank you so much!

[@Mercutiossword]

Great production. love the choice of strange meadow lark to close it out too.

[@FrithAlces]

When I first read the script, I got the sense Jerry was creepy psycho that could have been a role played by Heath Ledger.

[@caitianlong]

A very interesting take on Jerry, intriguing to explore the strengths of regarding Jerry like a mentally ill man or a drug addict.

[@laurareeves9754]

LOVED IT!

[@DelishaPowell]

after reading this play and then watching it performed, I kind of get the feeling the audience has no clue what is happening.

[@kristinasaunders5377]

As well he paraphrased a fair bit

[@delawarr]

Interesting audience reaction. You can never tell an audience how to respond. while Jerry uses comedy to capture Peter he does it for a reason and its not to entertain peter or an audience. I think the delivery is too polished and delivered too consistent. like a routine. So the audience can laugh. Someone laughs when he pulls the knife out! The end was a bit like a play fight and only when Jerry is stabbed do audience realise, too late, the real reason for the story and now they dont laugh.

[@babyitsmoldoutside4233]

Heh. The audience thought that this was going to be a comedy.

[@Mercutiossword]

life is funny till it aint, then its just absurd.

[@CNUImprovGroup]

That's just like, your opinion, man.

[@Patrickdaawsome]

I thought it was great

[@lolforeverxdyea2352]

13:17

[@TruckerJohn3]

You should see the version I made, It's totally fucked up!

[@viktorkitanovski8691]

Where can I see your version?

[@coldkidincanada]

was hoping seeing it performed would make the script better. Wrong. Have no idea why our teacher gave us this to read, of all the plays!

[@ConnorElliot]

I never really thought this was supposed to be a funny play...

[@falconninja3671]

did jerry just cause suicide????!!!!

[@shevaunadams5251]

its hard to find meaning in the words or in Jerry's character when he's spitting out the words as fast as he can. The story should be more absurd than funny and there's no tragedy to the plot.

[@quince911]

Understand also that the timing of what you see in video and what you see in person is different. Also understand that on stage sometimes you must compromise tempo for meaning and getting through. Mamet is a great example of this...

[@zezeta2]

Audience laughing by mistake due to lack of quality acting. The character Jerry's actor was not able to convey human tragedy, which the audience mistook for black humor. As for Peter's actor, he lacked proper protrayal of a rich man, indignant and annoyed with his deadpan life.

[@thesatanicdemon1239]

this is a black comedy.

[@kristinasaunders5377]

The actor playing jerry doesn't command attention, the audience is distracted

[@quince911]

Fair enough. What would you have done different in my performance? Or what direction would you have given?

[@kristinasaunders5377]

+DirectorQuincyPerkins his thought process doesn't seem or feel organic, the pacing should be a lot slower, as if recalling an actual memory. I know jerry can be a strange, but he still has to feel human. that's all otherwise pretty good

[@tobesteruk]

Awful! If you are going to play Jerry then at least learn the lines!! This Nimrod delivered the whole Jerry and The Dog speech at a breakneck pace which robbed it of all poignancy and meaning, and then after he had goaded Peter into stabbing him, forgot to tell him what happened at the zoo. For those of you who are wondering ".... What I think happened at the zoo....I think.... I think that while I was at the zoo I decided that I would walk North... Northerly, rather, until I found you.... Or someone... And that when I did I would talk to you.... And I would tell you things... And the things I would tell you would.... Well, here we are.... But, I dunno... Could I have planned all this? No, I couldn't have, and yet... I think I did... And now I've told you what you wanted to know... And now you know what happened at the zoo.... And you know what you'll see on your TV tonight... And the face I told you about... You remember...? The face I told you about? My face.... The face you see right now...."

[@quince911]

Listen. I appreciate what might be constructive criticism but to tell you the truth this is up here for other to see and learn, to maybe do something different, to build on and...you may or may not be an actor but to know how difficult this piece is and to start your comment with "awful"...of course you are entitled to your opinion, but remember I'm not trying to blow away the world with my acting, I'm trying to upload this so that people can decide how they might want to play Jerry...and your opinion, sorry to say it, is just yours and others may not share it...

[@jonahloewen7691]

I agree. This was actually one of my favorite portrayals of Jerry. It really depends on how the actoor see the character and portrays it.

[@BeautifulAvenger]

I'm currently studying this as part of my english literature degree course and, having read the text of the play, Albee himself put in his stage directions that jerry's speech should largely be delivered how the actor/director see fit... theatre isn't the kind of genre where there are correct and incorrect stagings... just because one staging isn't to a particular person's taste doesn't mean it's "awful" per se... i've enjoyed watching all kinds of productions of this and comparing and contrasting them with my own personal reading of the text too. That's part of the beauty of theatre :)

[@kylefiliault196]

Wow, I could not disagree more with Toby Masson... I thought this was a great portrayal, with lots of interesting and unique choices. It was extremely helpful for me to see another actor’s interpretation of the text. Thank you. But more importantly, what were those lines that he was quoting? Why don’t I have them in my script? Did Albee make edits/additions to the original text of The Zoo Story when he rereleased it as part of At Home at the Zoo, maybe?

[@Hamieee]

"AWFUL, If you're going to play a character you HAVE to do it the way I thought it would be in my mind!!"

[@smateeee1366]

this is so boring