At Home at the Zoo (Zoo Story)

“It’s just that if you can’t deal with people, you have to make a start somewhere. With animals. Don’t you see? A person has to find a way of dealing with something. If not with people…something.” Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright Edward Albee, At Home at the Zoo (Zoo Story) delves deep into the complex concept of human loneliness and social disparity. Directed by Eric Hill, At Home at the Zoo (Zoo Story) joins Albee’s classic play The Zoo Story (1959) with its prequel, Homelife, written 45 years later.

Set in New York City, Homelife opens with a look inside the isolated marriage of wealthy textbook company executive Peter and his articulate Upper East Side wife Ann. Unable to communicate their feelings to each other, the foundation of their marriage is built on unspoken agreements. Somehow they find comfort in their boring relationship, yet they are never truly on the same page.

The Zoo Story follows Peter to Central Park. While sitting on a park bench, Peter encounters a forlorn and forsaken stranger named. This stranger, who appears desperate for human contact and connection, forces Peter to listen to his stories as he digs deep into Peter’s life and his own.