Tickets now available for performance of The Zoo Story at Pavilion Theatre

Photo: Contributed

Poster for RadRock Productions' The Zoo Story

RadRock Productions will be showing its inaugural play at the Pavilion Theatre next month.

Kamloops-based actors Derek Rein and Brandon Reid will be performing The Zoo Story, a classic play by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Edward Albee, on Feb. 9, Feb. 10 and Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

“This story is about basically two men from different classes, and social standings, who kind of encounter each other in New York in Central Park,” Rein said.

“Both men are kind of needing some form of human connection. Even though the play was written like 70 years ago, we just felt that there’s a lot of themes that really kind of mirrored what was going on in the world right now — the loneliness and isolation, even differences in classes and kind of economic struggles, and how that kind of plays into how we act and encounter each other.”

Rein and Reid established RadRock Productions post-pandemic to create opportunities for themselves to perform and to help the arts scene in Kamloops rebound.

“The arts took a really big hit through COVID,” said Rein.

“So we wanted to kind of create our own opportunities. To do that, to kind of help be part of that movement of the arts rebounding after being shut down for a couple of years.

“But we’re just kind of trying to forge our own paths a little bit and see if there’s any kind of audience for something a little more thought provoking and layered.”

The play is stage managed by Jessica Reid and Directed by Dušan Magdolen, executive director of the Kamloops Film Society.

Performances will be at the Pavilion Theatre, 1025 Lorne St. Tickets are available for $25 at Kamloops Live! Box Office.