PUTNEY — On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 26 and 27, at 7:30 p.m., Next Stage Arts will present the Wild Goose Players' production of The Zoo Story by Edward Albee.
Among the most famous one-act plays in the English language, The Zoo Story tells the story of two men, Peter and Jerry (played by John Hadden and David Stern, respectively) who meet at a bench in Central Park.
Beginning with one of the most famous first lines in dramatic literature - “I've been to the zoo” - the play is described by multidisciplinary theater professional Ron Fassler as “a taut cat-and-mouse confrontation, with Peter the unwilling participant in Jerry's game.”
“What that game is, revealed only in the final minutes, has rocked audiences around the world,” Fassler wrote.
The Zoo Story put Albee on the map, beginning a career that included two Tony Awards for Best Play and three Pulitzer Prizes for drama.
Prepared substantially on Zoom during the first year of the pandemic, this production is a passion project for Stern and Hadden, and for Sandy Klein, their director.
“We are thrilled to share the results of that passion,” Stern said in a news release. Audience members are invited to stay after the performance for a talk-back with the trio.
Tickets are $12 and are available at bit.ly/640-zoo. Proof of vaccination or negative Covid test within 48 hours is required, as are masks inside the venue.