For Immediate Release
NACC Theatre Presents The Zoo Story: “Edward Albee is our greatest playwright, delivering a genuinely fascinating, first-class drama that calls out to be seen”
RAINSVILLE – The Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) Theatre will perform The Zoo Story on July 8-10, and July 15-17, 2022. Performances Friday and Saturday nights will be held at 7:00 p.m. Sunday’s performance will be a matinée at 2:00 p.m. The performances will be at the Tom Bevill Lyceum located on the NACC main campus.
Tickets for The Zoo Story will be available to purchase by phone, in person, or online. The Theatre Box Office is located on the 2nd Floor of the Tom Bevill Lyceum. To order tickets by phone with a credit card call: (256) 638-4418 ext. 2218. To order tickets online visit www.nacc.edu/theatre. Tickets are $8 each.
The Zoo Story premiered off-Broadway at the Provincetown Playhouse on January 14, 1960, in a production by Theatre 1960. The Zoo Story, by Edward Albee, features a small cast of two characters named Peter and Jerry. The two distinctly different men meet at a park bench in central park on a Sunday afternoon and engage in a conversation filled with dogs, cats, neighbors, junk, and a trip to the zoo.
The conversation continues between the two men, dominated mainly by Jerry continuing to tell Peter about his life while promising to tell him about his trip to the zoo. Jerry continues telling stories about his landlady and how her dog attacked him, but he tried to befriend the dog multiple times until he decided to try and poison the dog, which was unsuccessful. Peter begins to feel uncomfortable and tries to leave, but Jerry doesn’t let him. The story and relationship between Jerry and Peter continues to dissolve until it culminates in an argument between the two that leaves one of the characters at peace, a lonely peace.
The Zoo Story is about much more than a simple conversation between two New York-based characters. The play is about loneliness, miscommunication, isolation, dehumanization, life, and death.
NACC’s Theatre Department, led by Director of Theatre Kayleigh Smith, has used the college’s state-of-the-art technical equipment and talented theatre students, community members, and college staff to bring in-person productions back to the area.
Ms. Smith spoke on the production saying, “The Zoo Story is a play that addresses themes of loneliness, isolation, and our need for human connection. I think NACC audiences will relate to this play after the shared experiences we have faced during the pandemic. I hope that seeing The Zoo Story will inspire everyone to reach out and truly connect with the people in their lives.”
Finally, Smith is grateful for the support given to the NACC Theatre. “We would like to thank the amazing cast and crew for their tireless efforts to bring the magic of theatre to life. They have poured so much time, energy, and love into this show! A huge thank you to our biggest supporter and president of Northeast, Dr. David Campbell, as well as the entire NACC family, for their belief in, and support of creating quality live theatre for those we serve. We could not do what we do without your advocacy for the arts.”
For more information about Northeast Alabama Community College, visit nacc.edu or download the OneACCS app in the Apple Store or Google Play Store. Follow NACC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest announcements, current events, and more.
