Animals

By: Stacy Osei-Kuffour

Narrated by: William Jackson Harper, Jason Butler Harner, Madeline Brewer, Aja Naomi King

Length: 1 hr and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

Lydia (Aja Naomi King) and Henry (Jason Butler Harner)’s dinner guests (Madeline Brewer and William Jackson Harper) are about to arrive when Henry’s spontaneous marriage proposal threatens to burn the evening to a crisp. Wine bottles and years of unspoken tensions are uncorked, and before the evening is through, Lydia must confront her long-held fears and feelings if she’s going to commit to a future with Henry.

Directed by Whitney White, Stacy Osei-Kuffour’s world premiere comedy marches into the muddy intersection of romantic entanglement, identity, pride, and survival.

Please Note: Animals contains adult language. 

©2020 Stacy Osei-Kuffour (P)2020 AO Media LLC

So much swearing!!!

Overall, I enjoyed this but there were so much swearing. It was like the characters couldn't go one sentence without swearing. Do people really talk like this to each other? The swearing felt a little overwhelming to hear at times.

The plot escalated fast and the drama felt too much at times.

It also left me a little confused at times. I got the sense that two of the four characters are exes but at times, they didn't feel like friends to me. I am guessing this is why the play is called "Animals"???

This was an ugly listen

I get what the author was striving to do here, especially in light of the heightened attention in 2020 to America’s disgusting racism. I perceive the issues she was seeking to highlight: microaggressions, white saviour complex, nepotism, gentrification, white mediocrity and the way they’re granted advancement due to privilege and not earning such, colonialism, hegemonic ideology, misogynoirism, systemic injustices, white inheritance of wealth and Black exclusion from access, etc., but this story was pedantic, unpleasant, gratuitous, poorly illustrative, and imbued with stereotypes even while it was seeking to undermine such.

I could not finish listening to this production, and this will be my first and last time engaging with anything this author produces.

Real life

I felt everything in this production. This is real life and not the regular pretend fairy tales we get.

Eye opening

What I liked about this piece were the uncomfortable conversations about race, sex, and politics. Because I believe these things need to be talked about. I love how Lydia was an extremely messy character with her own doubts and her own insecurities and how she portrayed a woman who is ready to go full force into a marriage, knowing that she did not absolutely love Henry. I also loved how both of the couples were interracial and both couples had representation from different age ranges.

What I didn’t like or appreciate as much about this particular story is the constant arguing and digs that the characters made at each other. Even though I understand it was a part of the atmosphere of the story, it got old very fast. But I also think that a lot of people can resonate with the story simply because that is how some people behave.

Would definitely recommend.

Real and raw

This play is so real. Very worth the time. Would like to see it live.

off-putting and crude

this was just not enjoyable. it felt more like bad reality tv that anything approaching real relationships that are worth exploring. and the constant swearing is incredibly distracting.

Life is messy

This was spectacular. Hit close to home as a 30 something year old. Worth it 😉

Excellent Story!

The characters were so real! This is the story of Lydia and how she struggles to come to terms with decisions and circumstances from her past. Even when the characters are way off base in terms of what they say, you smile and shake your head because what they say sounds like someone we know, someone we've met or even someone we've been at some point on our own journey!

Enjoyed Animals greatly

I was surprised initially at the relationship squabbles, tension, up and down quickly. The afterwards with producer was helpful snd interesting to me, although another reviewer hated it. The post discussion helped me understand how the character of Lydia was meant to be, and that she was entering “self awareness “
The actors were talented, and the entire production kept interest

Simply cathartic

Wow! The actors and the writing were all amazing. Chidi from The Good Place plays Jason/Yao! I really felt like I was at the edge of my seat, watching this unfold, or more like being the neighbor who gets to hear every little thing because of the thin walls and wondering at times if you should intervene before someone got hurt. While I am not necessarily a fan of strong language/cursing (there's a lot!), I appreciate that it really serves to showcase the level of comfort everyone has with each other, after so many years (I know I can't be the only who is less nice to my husband now than I was when we dated). Race and politics were approached wonderfully, with nuance, and the dialog with the writer and director at the end was also interesting to have.