Review Fix Exclusive: Patricia Lynn Talks ‘The Animal Kingdom

Review Fix chats with actor and director Patricia Lynn who discusses the Hunger and Thirst Theatre Company’s revival of Philip Barry’s ‘The Animal Kingdom’ later this month at the Theatrelab in New York City.

For more information on the production and to buy tickets, click here.

Review Fix: What was the inspiration behind this revival?

Patricia Lynn: Hunger and Thirst is always drawn to classic works that are still relevant today. The Animal Kingdom is not in the classical genre, but we think it should be 500 years from now. The basic struggle of the choice we have to make about our lives (should we marry, settle down, and get a real job? Or continue artistic pursuits?) is something that all of us struggle with today in New York. This theme is what really drew us to this piece.

Review Fix: Why do you think the production is rarely re-done?

Lynn: I’m actually not so sure. It’s so fascinating. It did fairly well on Broadway when it was first produced, and there was a mildly successful movie as well. I think this 1930s style of comedy can be tricky to do well, which may be why it’s not very popular.

Also, the subject matter could be unappealing to some; most of the blurbs and descriptions of this play state that it is about how a man’s relationship with his mistress may be stronger and healthier than his relationship with his wife. But we don’t view the play in those kinds of black-and-white terms; Tom’s relationships with the two women in his life are much more complicated and interesting than that (which is what drew us to this play).

Review Fix: What makes it so special?

Lynn: The language is so vibrant-when spoken aloud, the words bounce and sparkle, if that makes any sense. The complexity of the relationships between all of the characters–not just between the members of the love triangle–is also very special. I always love when I find stories that don’t have clear-cut heroes and villains. I’d much rather see real, flesh-and-blood people who have both strengths and flaws, good sides and bad sides.

Review Fix: How is your version different?

Lynn: Just performing this play in 2015 instantly makes it different. When the play was first produced in 1932, this genre often used realism in terms of the design. Our director, Jacob Titus, described it best when he said that this a comedy of manners being invaded by surrealism. We will be incorporating that idea into our aesthetic, as well as letting the actors’ performances transport the audience to the 1930s rather than super-realistic, period-specific design elements.

Review Fix:
What was the casting process like?

Lynn: In some ways, it was really easy–in other ways, really difficult! There are a lot of talented actors out there and we saw a lot of them. However, most of the time, you know within the first 15 seconds after the actor walks into the room (sometimes even before he/she starts to read the scene) if they are right for the role. It does really come down to a certain look or an energy that the actor naturally has.

Review Fix: Who among the cast stands out the most to you?

Lynn: All of them–we are lucky to have a very talented group of actors to work with. Wait until you see them.

Review Fix: How does this production connect with the Theatre Company’s vision?

Lynn: As I mentioned, Hunger and Thirst is drawn to classic works that we find still relevant today, and The Animal Kingdom definitely is. We also are drawn to ensemble pieces that really highlight all of the actors involved. We love that although the basic plot focuses on the Tom-Cecelia-Daisy love triangle, all of the other characters are rich, interesting, and contribute to the story. As a company that stresses the value of community, it’s important to us to find plays that allow as many artists to be involved as possible and feature them in the best possible way.

Review Fix: How do you want this version of the production to be remembered?

Lynn: As a heartfelt, funny, sincere, and modern take on a 1930s comedy of manners. That we were able to take a story that seems very black-and-white on some levels and find all of the shades of gray.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13821 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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