REVIEW: A Report to An Academy @ Ottawa Fringe 2012

In A Report to An Academy an ape learns to act like a human in order to try and be free but in the end questions: what is freedom?

A Report to an Academy, by Franz Kafka, is a one man show detailing the life of Red Peter, an ape who is captured off the coast of East Africa and learns to act like a human. Not because he wants to, but because it’s the only way to escape captivity. The play is about what it means to be human and what it means to be free. Red Peter may be out of his cage, but does he really have any more freedom than he did before? Since the work is by Kafka, renowned writer, you can be sure that the script will hold up, but does the performance?

It does. Sean Sonier gives an incredibly convincing impression of an ape, even one as eloquent as this. He does alter his speech a bit to sound more like an ape, but it doesn’t get in the way of the show thanks to good articulation. He also brings the energy to the audience interaction that the play really needs. On top of that, the show is well directed and put together, with lighting cues complementing the feel of the show perfectly. It’s an incredibly well put together and entertaining show and gets a four.

What did you think? Did you agree with our rating? What did you love, or not, about this play? And what rating would you have given it. Tell us in the comments below.

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Kurt Shantz

About Kurt Shantz

Kurt Shantz is a Theatre and Scriptwriting graduate and an occasional Should You See It reviewer. He currently works as a warehouse clerk, but has big aspirations of someday achieving his dream of becoming a senior warehouse clerk. He's also been known to write on occasion.

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