The Hairy Ape

"Hairy ape, hugh? Sure!

Dat's the way she looked at me, al right.

Hairy ape? So dat's me, huh"

- Yank

I recently went through a phase of reading as many plays as I could get my hands on - and one of these such plays was The Hairy Ape, by Eugene O'Neill. So, when I heard that the Irish Repertory Theater was doing a production, I jumped at the chance to see it. I have to say, I normally don't get particuarly excited for the Irish Rep, as I've seen some disappointing productions there, but this show was outstanding and I really enjoyed each minute of it.
(photo by Carol Rosegg)

The play, set in the 1920s, concerns Yank (pictured above) , a laborer in the enging room aboard an oceanliner. Yank has just convinced himself that he really matters in the world - that what he does means something to society. This all really comes together when a woman of high society visits the engine room where he works - she shoots him a terrified look and his mind goes crazy with torment. She's the rich daughter of an industrialist in the steel business and refers to him as a "filthy beast" - starting Yank's indentity crisis and the basis of the class struggle the show is built around. He leaves the ship and wanders into Manhattan, only to find he does not belong anywhere; neither with the socialites on 5th Ave, nor with the labor organizers on the waterfront. Becoming desperate, he is reduced to seeking a like-minded being in the gorilla in the Bronz zoo. Ultimately, he ends up dying after the animal's rough embrace. The play reverberate's O'Neill's theme that a capitalist society destroys the working man - certainly a hot topic in the era in which it was produced.

Even today, the play is still relevant. This production has been revived by Ciaran O’Reilly as he pays homage to the original but the real focus of the show is on image and sound. The sets are gorgeous and uncomfortable at the same time. The loud, mechanical jazz interludes during scene changes are appropriately disturbing and relevant. The acting by Yank (Greg Derelian) is top-notch and incredibly believable. I was front row, and at one point Yank was inches away from me - quite terrifying. The show is a success in almost every way.....