THEATER 81: Just Another Day At The Zoo

Open-Door Playhouse

In the short play Just Another Day at the Zoo, we’re introduced to two characters, Cell Phone and Old School. They’re from different generations and different worlds. Meeting at a park bench, they begin to engage in conversation but perceive that the cultural gaps between them are formidable.
Can these two polarized figures possibly bond?
The metaphors for the larger conversations that we are having in the 21 st Century are apparent.

The playwright is Leo Cardez, which is a pseudonym for an incarcerated writer. The play is being presented as part of Open-Door Playhouse's collaboration with the PEN America Prison Writing Program.

Cardez says, “This is not based on a true story. It is inspired by many.” He suggests that his piece is (freely) adapted from Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story, although the earlier play is more of a jumping-off point.

Open-Door Playhouse founder and Artistic Director Bernadette Armstrong directs Just Another Day at the Zoo.

Amir Abdoulla portrays Cell Phone. Daamen Krall plays Old School.

Open-Door Playhouse is presenting Just Another Day at the Zoo online in podcast format, starting November 9, 2022.

Open-Door Playhouse is a podcast created to introduce new plays, new writers, and a wealth of unknown talent. Founded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse brings plays to the airwaves, in response to the fact that theatres were shuttered all over the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving playwrights with nowhere to produce their plays. Open-Door Playhouse supports new and emerging writers. Since its inception, Open-Door Playhouse has presented over 70 new short plays, with no limit in sight.

Producer: Open-Door Playhouse. Sound engineer: David Peters. Recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA. Sound Effects provided by Audio Jungle, music from Karaoke Version.

There’s no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://opendoorplayhouse.org

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