Edgar Rice Burroughs’ most enduring hero becomes a comic exploration into love, lust, nature and greed as Theatre Gigante presents the U.S. premiere of Slovenian playwright Rok Vilčnik’s Tarzan. Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson bring a domestic gravity to the roles of Jane and Tarzan. As the play opens, they’ve been living in the jungle for quite a long time. It’s a somewhat cute domestic sitcom between Jane and Tarzan until Don Russell shows-up in the role of a hyena named Mike. Mike’s taught himself to speak English, love jazz and appreciate beauty. Naturally he’s quite taken with Jane in a story that wastes little time in setting-up a love triangle.
Russell lends an unconventional depth to the drama as a hyena, finding the perfect balance between human and animalistic characteristics. Russell and Kralj develop a very believable rapport right away. It’s a crazy interspecies romance, but they present it in a way that feels quite rational. Jane’s growing tired of living outside the reach of technology. Mike wants to cultivate the graces of a civilization that accompanies such technology. The only problem is that Jane still loves the man raised by apes. How could she hope to relate to an animal that wishes to be a man?
Themes and moods fade in and out over the course of a plot. Comedy slides into drama and back as an aging Tarzan struggles to maintain dominance in a jungle that is being eroded by the steady encroachment of civilization. It’s a very provocative piece that is concise enough to invite thought long after it’s over.
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Through March 24 at Kenilworth 508 Theatre, 1925 E. Kenilworth Place. For tickets, visit www.theatregigante.org or call 1-800-838-3006.
