This Could Happen in Any Jungle, Especially for Theatre Gigante's 'TARZAN'

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Photo Credit: Damjan Švarc

Theatre Gigante continues its 30th anniversary season with the U.S. premiere of TARZAN. Dubbed an “exotic drama,” award-winning Slovenian playwright Rok Vilčnik’s script reinvents the recognizable characters of Tarzan and Jane in a world where anything is possible—a hyena can talk, older Jane can get pregnant and Tarzan can lose his title as Lord of the Jungle. “This could happen in any jungle,” the playwright says.

Vilčnik masterfully weaves together a variety of contemporary issues, such as marital troubles, financial strains and communication problems. While TARZAN tackles these deeper topics, they are brought up through the dialogue in an astoundingly deliberate and clever way—making them extremely palatable for a wide variety of people. However, due to the adult content discussed throughout this play, Theatre Gigante suggests parental guidance for younger audiences.

Vilčnik is a writer, playwright, poet, screenwriter and songwriter. He has completed more than 20 plays, four television series and is also an accomplished author. Vilčnik is a three-time recipient of the Grum Award for Best New Slovenian Play and a recipient of the Slovenian Noble Comediographer award. TARZAN premiered in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2016 at the Slovenian National Drama.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of the upcoming Milwaukee production has been the process Theater Gigante underwent to obtain the script to TARZAN. While in Slovenia, the company’s Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson met Vilčnik and fell in love with his clever play and his ability to deliver such relatable topics in a comedic fashion.

The original script was in Slovenian and Kralj, Anderson and Melita Koletnik spent months translating the piece into English. Kralj has a deep connection to Slovenia. Her parents are Slovenian and she has spent much of her life in this part of the world. Theatre Gigante has toured its original work in Slovenia and brought Slovenian artists to Milwaukee.

Throughout the translation process, Kralj and Anderson collaborated with Vilčnik to keep the American version as close to the original script as possible. “Often when you translate a play, you will make it colloquial or contemporize it to the times, but we worked very hard to maintain what Vilčnik wrote. We really tried not to deviate from his writing and original intent,” said Kralj.

The effort the artistic directors of Theater Gigante invested in the translation will undoubtedly show in their starring performances as Tarzan and Jane. Anderson and Kralj are married, and will bring their experiences and knowledge of the storyline to their roles. The third actor in TARZAN is a hyena named Mike. Don Russell of Cooperative Performance will play him in his debut with Theatre Gigante.

Theatre Gigante doesn’t often present straight plays, making this performance of TARZAN an unusual treat for their audience. Kralj believes TARZAN is a great fit for the company due to the metaphorical content, satirizing the role of the human animal and the consequences for the future of the planet. “It’s not so black and white—the issues are presented from so many different angles,” says Kralj. “It’s a feel good play but it’s not solved for anybody, and that’s really important for us. There’s no preaching, there is no saying ‘This is what you must think or walk out of here feeling.”

There will be a post-show reception following the Friday, March 16 premiere with Vilčnik and the Slovenian consul general in attendance. Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in the post-show talkback immediately following the performance on Sunday, March 18. Patrons are invited to “pay what you can” in lieu of purchasing tickets on the Thursday, March 22 showing.

TARZAN runs March 16-24 at the Kenilworth 508 Theatre, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place. To purchase tickets, visit gigantetarzan.brownpapertickets.com or call 1-800-838-3006.