Have You Met Jane Goodall And Her Mother?

"Have You Met Jane Goodall and Her Mother?" at EST is an interesting play in that it breaks the norms of traditional theater. The actors are constantly telling the audience what's on their mind; never shy about being campy either.

The story is a true one for the most part (somethings were added that were not true). Ms. Goodall went to Africa to study chimpanzees. She tried to put together the missing link between humans and chimps. Most of her studies were in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania in 1960; right in the middle of an election that would decide if England would stay ruling this country or not.

In the beginning, I was worried that this show would be to silly, too PC, however, as the show went on I felt engrossed by the direction of Linsay Firman. On a bare stage (only stepping points), the actors had great free range in their movements. Firman used each part of the stage with great thought, making it easy for the audience to pick up all the little, and not so little nuances.

Reza Behjat's lighting was superb in switching from industrial lighting to romantic lighting throughout the two hours and thirty minute show. The constant switch off provided an excellent back beat to the show.Like the lighting, the sound too gave just the right amount of feel to the show; between the animals and the jungle terrain, the audience felt the depth of Goodall's experiences with the chimpanzees (Kathy Ruvuna).

Writer Michael Walek had an interesting idea about this play. Rather than create a straight forward play about Goodall's life, writing a good deal about her mother,Vanne, who had to chaperone her daughter to Africa (an excellent Kristin Griffith), she turns the show on its side adding a whole other side to the show! Vanne is pragmatic, simple, but with a great outlook on life; she can bob and weave with the best of them! She gets along with all the characters splendidly, with the exception at times with her own daughter.

Tommy Heleringer as David Lancaster is another standout in this show. Banished to Africa for fourteen years has him yearning for the West End in London again. As a fan of theater and show tunes, meeting Vanne was the best thing that's happened to him for many years as she reminisces about her relationships with stage legends like Cole Porter. Heleringer's role would have been a lot more raucous if he used a British accent. Even still, the soft, feminine features to his character were still funny, indeed.'t).

As Jane, I thought Brittany K. Allen was miscast. At the beginning of the show it was announced that Jane is white (she wasn't); it was also announced that Bill, her boyfriend is white (he wasn't). I am not sure why Jane Goodall was not cast as a white woman with an English accent like her mother; it made no sense casting the show this way. Even though Allen was good in her role for the most part, it made the show unbalanced by casting it this way. It was asking the audience to play make believe which gets confusing.

Both Jordan Donaldson as Adolf/Moses and Rami Margron as Short put in great efforts as well. Margron has nice versatility in the comedic as well as serious side to the performance. Donaldson is ready to ride the new government into power realizing the peril that lies before him because of his sexual preferences. He reasons away why he wants this new government. Short is more knowing of the ways of the world and wants to take him away from the trouble that he sees in Adolf's future.

"Have You Met" is an interesting play. You don't see this type of writing often, but it is fun to watch and bask in the story behind the woman who risked her life to research chimpanzees in the jungles of Africa.