Sansami Creative Works’ presentation of “The Zoo Story” will be 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Tiger Hut.
Sansami founder Sawyer Shafer said his group wanted to challenge themselves and bring in new ideas and found “The Zoo Story” a good fit.
“It’s about what do these strangers contribute to their lives,” he said. “This is a very entertaining in the way it makes the audience think.
“It also branches into genres we haven’t touched on yet and that’s what this season is about.”
Shafer will play one of the roles along with fellow Sansami veteran Canaan Gray. And while Shafer has directed most of Sansami’s past productions, Keara Henry steps in here, allowing him to concentrate on acting.
Henry and Shafer went to school together. She graduated from Urbana University last spring and just joined Sansami, acting as assistant director on the recent production of “Figaro.”
One of the twists the creators are bringing to “The Zoo Story” is that Shafer and Gray learned each other’s parts and will switch character roles, one playing one role in the early performance and the other in the evening. This created a challenge for Henry.
“You have to differentiate the actors — and that’s where it gets interesting,” she said.
Henry also likes that “The Zoo Story” veers into existentialism, calling it a unique experience and a break from the norm. And at around an hour in length, it’s not a huge time commitment.
“We’re trying to bring new forms of entertainment to the area and I hope people will give us a chance by seeing a one-act play and trying something new,” said Shafer.
“The Zoo Story” is recommended for audiences ages 13 and older.
WANT TO GO?
What: "The Zoo Story"
Where: Tiger Hut, 412 W. Baird St., West Liberty
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 2 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 29, 2 and 5 p.m.
Admission: $5
More info: www.sansamicw.com/the-zoo-story.html
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