See also: - Dark Wood @ Denver's Dangerous Theatre - Here be Dragons and other perilously prurient plays at Denver's Dangerous Theatre - Lysistrata @ Denver's Dangerous Theatre
In Dark Wood, written by Peter McGarry and directed by Winnie Wengelwick, three actors -- Patrick Call, Ben Palayo and Brainard Starling -- play three apes who find themselves together in a cage. Apes Rico and Strong Arm were born and raised in captivity, and so have a relatively limited knowledge of the ways of the world. Mbwane was born and raised in the wild; he was the leader of his clan with a family and sons until he was captured, and now he is focused on getting out and getting back to the forest. He tries to convince Rico and Strong Arm to go with him.Naked, apey hijinks ensue, and in the process this comedy shows us how our perceptions of our world are greatly influenced by our surroundings.
Wengelwick says the play is limited to adults eighteen-plus, "due to language, violence and the fact that apes don't wear clothes, so neither do the actors." And, this Friday, neither will some of the people watching the production. "For a bit of fun, and as a silly gimmick, for one night we are allowing audience members to sit nude and watch the show," she explains. "It is optional. I will have the seating set up cabaret-style with small café tables and chairs. So no one who is clothed will have to sit next to someone naked if they don't want to. All audience members will be aware of the silliness and have the option to come back another night. What does the city think about this? Is there a city official in charge of audience dress code? I have no clue and would not even know who to call. I guess if a city official has any concerns, they can come see the show."
And if they're naked on Friday, they can see it for free!
Performances are offered at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 26 at Denver's Dangerous Theatre, 2620 West Second Avenue. Tickets are $10, and free for naked audience members during the special Nude Night performance February 22. (There's also a special, pay-what-you want industry performance on Monday, February 25.) For more information, call 720-233-4703 or go to DangerousTheatre.com.
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