Randuwa II: November 2024

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Sunday at the Zoo

I don't think I've shared here, for all my little garden zoo, and cooking pics, I don't give out too much personal information. I do; however, volunteer at a zoo most Sunday mornings. Consider my "house" or worship. Today I was interpreting about the lives of our Bobcats and North American River Otters. Kilgore, our male Bobcat was especially beautiful.

Kilgore is a medium sized (30 lb-ish) nine-year-old male who was discovered orphaned in the Oregon wilderness. After being given to the ODNR (Oregon Department of Natural Resources) he was quickly placed into the care of the keepers at the Oregon Zoo in Portland. Once weened, his association with and comfort in the presence of humans made re-release into the wild a poor choice. That's when we were identified as a forever home by the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) of which we are a member. Kilgore shares this space with another, older rescued female named Josie. Share doesn't mean being in the space together--they would never hang out together in the wild, but trading off time between the exterior and interior habitats. It's a common arrangement for animals whose natural predisposition is solitude. They clearly know of one another's presence, but have no desire to sit down for a meal together.

"The Art of Caring" is a bit of experimental theatre. Rather than a single playwright, it is the work of a consortium of writers--namely, the ensemble actors who are performing it. It was conceived of and shepherded along by Derek Goldman and depends on the talents and stories of a diverse cast of seven actors.

As the play unfolds it quickly becomes apparent that there is no plot, but rather an idea: What does Caring look like. Alone, in duos, in trios, and altogether the actors explore ideas and possible answers by revealing their own experiences. Both as care giver and care receiver, the audience relives some of the most intimate and vulnerable moments in these extraordinary 7 people's lives.

If you are in need of an emotional cleansing, a deep cathartic connection with other human beings--this is the show for you. Personally, I found it very moving. So much so that it moved my opinion of one of the actors involved. There is something tremendously powerful after watching actors perform dozens of roles, to suddenly see them for who they are in real life. It creates a palpable feeling of belonging.

Prior to the show's start, cast members wander through the audience asking various members to tell them about people who've cared for them and/or people whom they've cared for. At the very end, the cast recited the names of individuals whom they had portrayed or who's experiences had been highlighted in their vignettes, and then just continued on naming those individuals that members of the audience had elevated to them before the show. It was very moving. That's really the power of this production. It traverses a range of highly emotional content without becoming maudlin or trite.

In a category of its own, I really enjoyed "The Art of Caring."