This Friday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 PM,
Chimpanzee
will take the stage in the Schambach Center. The off-Broadway puppet play delves into the psychological life of a lonely chimpanzee. Actor and puppeteer Nick Lehane created
Chimpanzee
, basing it on true accounts of chimpanzees raised in human households. The protagonist in
Chimpanzee
grew up in one such household, and the play spans the memories of her childhood.
Lehane’s work also touches on animal testing, as he claims many chimpanzees raised in human homes go on to spend their adult lives in laboratories as test subjects. The National Institute of Health found in 2015 that chimpanzees who were raised in these federally-operated cross-fostering experiments would spend the rest of their lives in sanctuaries rather than testing facilities. Nick Lehane’s website, however, states that “hundreds of chimpanzees remain warehoused in labs to this day.” Set in a warehouse lab, the show depicts the transition from life in a human home to the isolation of a laboratory for chimpanzees.
The Theatre Times
’ review of
Chimpanzee
emphasizes the poignancy of the puppets’ lifelike movements. Three puppeteers operate the life-sized model, who has jointed arms, legs, neck, and movable opposable fingers. She even appears to sigh and pant during the show. While there is no dialogue or secondary characters, props allow for limited narration.
The Theatre Times
lists a baby doll, teacup, rubber duckie, and kettle as items that the chimpanzee interacts with during the show. The chimpanzee uses the props similarly to how a human would, and their presence helps to anchor the narrative.
Since the 1970s, there have been a number of experiments in which chimpanzees were raised in human homes. The most notable experiment was covered in the 2011 documentary Project Nim, which revolves around a 1973 Columbia University study that placed an infant chimpanzee in the care of an adoptive human family. The chimpanzee, named Nim, lived with the family until 1977 and was regularly observed as part of Columbia’s psychological study. Nim eventually became violent towards his caretakers and spent the majority of his adult life in a research laboratory. Although it covers a similar topic as the Project Nim documentary,
Chimpanzee
offers a different perspective on the life of a chimpanzee in captivity.
Chimpanzee
premiered at HERE’s Dream Music Puppetry program. Other projects affiliated with HERE — which prides itself on its innovative and unconventional productions — include Eve Ensler’s
The Vagina Monologues
, Taylor Mac’s
The Lily’s Revenge
, and Basil Twist’s
Symphonie Fantastique
. The Jim Henson Foundation, founded by the renowned puppeteer known for playing Kermit the Frog, also contributed to the production of
Chimpanzee
.
Tickets for
Chimpanzee
are available through Michelle Reiser-Memmer at (315) 859–4331 or at
www.hamilton.edu/performingarts.
