Property, Setting &

Scenery identification of
The Zoo Story Play
► Bagas Suryo
► Daniswara . K
► Shofia. N
The Zoo Story – Edward albee
• is a one-act play by American playwright
Edward Albee.
• it was written in 1958 and completed in just
three weeks
• Explores themes of isolation, loneliness,
miscommunication as anathematization, social
disparity and dehumanization in a
materialistic world.
• Originally titled Peter and Jerry), or as a
standalone play. Its prequel, Homelife,
written in 2004, however, can only be
produced as a part of Edward Albee's at Home
at the Zoo.
Why named “zoo story”
The most immediate reason the play is
called "The Zoo Story" is that Jerry
announces that he's been to the zoo when he
first shows up. His story is a zoo story,
and that starts a lot of the play's action
in motion. The characters in the play are
trapped and lonely, like zoo animals.
Animals play a part in discussions.
General analysis
• Property : book, bench, cigarette, lighter,
balloon as a dog
• Setting : central park
• Conflict : started while peter is reading a
book and he us interrupted by stranger (jerry)
and he is made uncomfortable by jerry's
questions about his marital status, children,
work, cat.
Climax conflict
► When jerry tries to put Peter
off the bench.
►As a symbol of being intruded.
►The zoo story that Jerry pretends
that he wants to tell Peter is
actually a metaphor for
contemporary society. Everyone
seems to avoid communication with
the others and this is compared to
the wild animals which are caged
separately from their kind.