BroadwayWorld: In 1922, Eugene O'Neill set the theatrical world on fire with his provocative and expressionist play, The Hairy Ape. This journey of a dark-souled, brutish ship laborer known as Yank is a riveting story of a common man's search for belonging in a world controlled by the rich and powerful.
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I studied some of Eugene O’Neill’s plays in high school, and The Hairy Ape was one of the plays we discussed. Hearing about a new production of it was very exciting! Irish Repertory Theatre will run this production until November 15th, 2026. So far this production has great reviews, with the general consensus being that this play is extremely relevant to audiences today over a century later from its initial performances. The only major critique about this production is that the lead actor, Jon Beavers, does not seem incredibly “ape-like” because of his lack of body hair. I believe this critique is not that relevant regarding the point of the play. The main character, Yank, is supposed to be perceived as an ape by society, and he only really becomes an ape himself when he lets societal beliefs take a toll on his self-worth. If the actor looked extremely ape-like, then the character was already an ape to begin with and Yank’s eventual giving up on belonging would not be as powerful of a message. Instead of his character losing his understanding of himself to the point of ruin, instead he would be just realizing what he actually is, and that would simplify the message this play conveys too much. I wish I could see this production in person, because I want to see first-hand what is causing this many critiques on what overall is described as a very well-done production.
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