Difference between revisions of "The Zoo Story"
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Albee's first play, it was written in 1958 in just three weeks, and was originally titled ''Peter and Jerry''. The play offers a brilliant duologue between Jerry, a neurotic outcast, and respectable, bourgeois Peter who meet in Central Park. | Albee's first play, it was written in 1958 in just three weeks, and was originally titled ''Peter and Jerry''. The play offers a brilliant duologue between Jerry, a neurotic outcast, and respectable, bourgeois Peter who meet in Central Park. | ||
| − | + | The play was initially rejected by New York producers, and thus premiered at the Schiller Theater Werkstatt in in Berlin on September 28, 1959, in a double bill with the German premiere of Samuel Beckett's ''[[Krapp's Last Tape]]''. The play had its USA premiere Off-Broadway in a production by Theatre 1960 at the Provincetown Playhouse on January 14, 1960, again paired with ''[[Krapp's Last Tape]]''. | |
== Performance history in South Africa == | == Performance history in South Africa == | ||
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zoo_Story | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zoo_Story | ||
| − | Press clipping from ''Eastern Province Herald'', 16 May 1978, held by [[NELM]]: [Collection: DICKERSON, Beth]: 2009. 61. 2. 40. | + | Press clipping from ''[[Eastern Province Herald]]'', 16 May 1978, held by [[NELM]]: [Collection: DICKERSON, Beth]: 2009. 61. 2. 40. |
''[[Teaterforum]]'', 4(1), 1983, 113-114. | ''[[Teaterforum]]'', 4(1), 1983, 113-114. | ||
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| + | Photocopy of the text from ''Two Plays by Edward Albee'' (1961), found in the [[Stellenbosch Drama Department]]'s theatre archives and now held in the [[Performing Arts Research Collection]] ([[PARC]]) at the [[Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation]], with offices at Pieter Okkers House, 7 Joubert Street, Stellenbosch, South Africa. | ||
Theatre pamphlet | Theatre pamphlet | ||
Latest revision as of 06:49, 31 August 2025
The Zoo Story is a one-act play by Edward Albee (1928-2016) [1].
Contents
The original text
Albee's first play, it was written in 1958 in just three weeks, and was originally titled Peter and Jerry. The play offers a brilliant duologue between Jerry, a neurotic outcast, and respectable, bourgeois Peter who meet in Central Park.
The play was initially rejected by New York producers, and thus premiered at the Schiller Theater Werkstatt in in Berlin on September 28, 1959, in a double bill with the German premiere of Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape. The play had its USA premiere Off-Broadway in a production by Theatre 1960 at the Provincetown Playhouse on January 14, 1960, again paired with Krapp's Last Tape.
Performance history in South Africa
19**: Performed by students of the University of the Witwatersrand School of Dramatic Art in The Nunnery, some time between 1975 and 1983.
197*: Produced for CAPAB by Kaben Kreu Productions, directed by Mavis Taylor, with Keith Grenville (Peter) and John Burch (Jerry).
1978: A production in Grahamstown was directed by Carl de Gouveia, starring Christopher Weare and John Burch.
1983: Directed by Noël Roos for the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department in the Keller Theatre in March 1983, starring Neels Engelbrecht and Robert Finlayson.
1988: A Rhodes University Drama Department production was directed by Simon Jones.
1990: Directed by Willie Fritz for CAPAB, starring Peter Butler and Royston Stoffels, opening 28 June 1990 on the Grahamstown Festival Fringe and 13 July 1990 in Cape Town.
2008-2009: Presented by The Mechanicals, directed by Christopher Weare starring Nicholas Pauling and Scott Sparrow at the Intimate Theatre, Cape Town, October-November 2008. This production was also seen on the National Arts Festival Fringe in 2009.
2015: National Arts Festival.
Translations and adaptations
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Albee
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zoo_Story
Press clipping from Eastern Province Herald, 16 May 1978, held by NELM: [Collection: DICKERSON, Beth]: 2009. 61. 2. 40.
Teaterforum, 4(1), 1983, 113-114.
Photocopy of the text from Two Plays by Edward Albee (1961), found in the Stellenbosch Drama Department's theatre archives and now held in the Performing Arts Research Collection (PARC) at the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation, with offices at Pieter Okkers House, 7 Joubert Street, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Theatre pamphlet
The Star 23 June 2009.
Kaben Kreu Productions theatre programme (undated)
Go to ESAT Bibliography
Go to ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays
Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays
Return to PLAYS III: Collections
Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances
Return to South African Festivals and Competitions
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
