THE APE AND THE CHILD

 An original Vaudevillian tragicomedy, “The Ape and the Child,” is presented in 12 acts with a run time of one hour. Featuring a cast of four performers accompanied by a pianist the acts include song and dance, hypnosis, a magic show, burlesque, melodrama, and several slapstick routines. The show recounts a scientific experiment carried out in 1931 by research psychologist Niles Winthrop Kellogg and his wife, Luella. The Kelloggs bring an infant chimpanzee, Gua, into their home and raise her alongside their son Donald. They hope to “civilize” the chimp to determine whether humanity can be taught. The chimp becomes increasingly human but as she does, much to their horror and surprise, Donald begins to become increasingly ape-like.  What will this family do to save their son?

Conceived and Directed by: Eric Mercado

Performers:  Aaron Farenback-Brateman, Tess Neidermeyer, Steven Northrup, Elizabeth Spano, and Sinai Tabak.