“The Hairy Ape” play at the Odyssey Theatre (Photo – Enci Box).
This is a starkly staged and beautifully choreographed presentation of the story of Robert “Yank” Smith (played by Haile D’Alan), head coal stoker on an ocean liner, where he is king of his world and rules with brute strength and camaraderie with his fellow laborers, and most of the time remains safely focused in his dark and smokey element, having convinced himself that he’s not hindered by past failures or future possibilities and revels in the “now,” yet he still sees himself as fully ready to meld with the new machine oriented age.
By Carol Edger Germain
Meanwhile, his innate human desire for validation and acceptance and a sense of place in the world overshadow his bravado and play into his brief interaction with an elitist, “spoiled little rich girl” socialite (played by Katy Davis) visiting the engine room with a vague thought of connecting in a charitable way with this lower class, but who immediately recoils, and makes no secret of her repulsion and fear of the grossly sensual laborer, the “filthy beast.” Her disdain enrages him and he stampedes violently through Manhattan seeking revenge while trying to understand his place in the world.
“The Hairy Ape” play (Photo – Enci Box).
Although the actor playing Yank is black, the story is not about race relations, it’s about social stratification, and casting a black actor as the lead (a more culturally diverse group of associate laborers would have helped), unfortunately leads to association with our more recent past and our civil rights struggles, especially as the final emotionally-charged interaction is at the zoo between Yank and an ape. Nevertheless, that passing thought did not really impact the effect of the overall story, and the final scene did not lose it’s impact, The presentation is powerful in word as well as physical presence.
Although the actor
playing Yank
is black,
the story is not
about race relations,
it’s about
social stratification
The stark set, without physical props, serves as a backdrop for the characters to create their social dance (nearly literally, as the movements of the actors were “conducted” by percussionist Will Mahood, who with his instruments created stop action and slow motion, and sometimes evoked exaggerated actions to convey emotion and chapters of the story. The movements of all the actors are rhythmic and lyrical (the scene of the laborers sitting on a bench as the ship rocks, swaying side to side, had me moving a bit with them and I felt like I could have talked myself into feeling a little seasickness). It is strong, stark, and violent, (and maybe not for everyone), and definitely unforgettable. Looking forward to a second visit to experience this performance again, even though the images are still fresh in my mind.
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