'Hairy Ape' confronts tough issues

Play doesn't have a happy ending, but director says it will make people think

JENNA DOSCH/VIEWSean Friedland, left, and Tyson Croft play the part of stokers aboard an ocean liner in the College of Southern Nevada?s production of "The Hairy Ape." The play deals with themes of class and separation during the Industrial Revolution. Advertisement

'THE HAIRY APE'

* When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday.

* Where: College of Southern Nevada Performing Arts Center, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave.

* Tickets: $10 adults, $8 students and seniors

* Information: 651-5483

Not every story has a happy ending.

That reality is never more potent than in the College of Southern Nevada's production of Eugene O'Neill's "The Hairy Ape," playing through Sunday.

"Some plays aren't meant to be feel-good," director Aaron Tuttle said. "While there is an entertainment value involved, there's something to be said for confronting tough issues through a medium that touches people the way that plays, books and movies do."

The story's anti-hero, Yank, is a brutish ocean liner stoker who is forced to deal with the ramifications of a social identity crisis after a rich young woman refers to him as a "filthy beast."

"Yank has very Neanderthal-like qualities, a characterization that was intentional on O'Neill's part," Tuttle said. "He acts like an ape, and that's how others see him. Although, at least at first, he doesn't seem to realize it."

Yank struggles to validate his existence through failed attempts to connect with others, and, in the end, his story is more about self-realization than redemption.

"It's sad, but the only connection he finds is with a gorilla at the zoo," Tuttle said. "He is a part of that lower class. There are bars and walls up all around him, and he finally sees them."

As the predecessor of the American expressionist play, "The Hairy Ape" confronts issues that were of great social concern during the early 20th century.

As technological advances catapulted the nation into the Industrial Revolution, American workers struggled to redefine themselves.

"For many workers, it was disastrous," Tuttle said. "They were being replaced by machines; being told that their skills were no longer valuable. It's a prominent theme throughout the play; the idea that workers were turned into machines and viewed as less than human in many instances."

Another of the play's most significant themes calls into question the importance of class and the evolutionary struggle of the classes.

"We live during a time when the class systems that existed for centuries aren't as prominent as they once were," Tuttle said. "But that has been a fairly recent development. Even during the Industrial Revolution, there was a very noticeable separation among the classes."

While modern American culture has blurred class lines, Tuttle said he believes that there still are representations within contemporary society.

"The issues are still relevant today," Tuttle said. "It may not be as defined, but everyone belongs to something. It's not seeing ourselves as a united entity on the societal level. We are divided by race, sex and affluence. To me, these are all representations of classification."

According to Tuttle, the play's characters were not written to be viewed as salvageable. Audiences were not meant to connect or empathize with Yank because he is a vehicle for the play's overall message.

"This isn't a production you see to find a happy ending," Tuttle said. "You won't leave humming. You many not necessarily enjoy it. But, you will never forget it. Movies like 'Crash' have a similar effect. Audiences will be talking about the issues long after they've left the theater."

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at the college's Performing Arts Center, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave.

Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. For tickets or information, call 651-5483.