Written by Laura Maria Censabella, the play is inspired by Irene Pepperberg, who taught an African grey parrot named Alex to communicate and solve problems for more than 30 years. Theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair says the journey is 'smartly captured' onstage.
Stephanie Clayman as Irene Pepperberg and Jon Vellante as Alex in"Beyond Words" at Central Square Theater.
Currently an adjunct research professor at Boston University, Pepperberg’s famous work, initially frowned upon by peers, yielded much more than data; it sparked a deep love and respect between her and her subject, Alex — short for Avian Learning EXperiment. Bright colored geometric shapes — yellow circles, purple triangles and red half-moons — that used to decorate many a shirt in the 1980s cover the floor of Pepperberg’s lab. Imagined by scenic designer Qingan Zhang, the space is stacked with cardboard boxes, gray metal file cabinets and colorful sticky notes dotting a corkboard, and it’s where much of the action occurs.
As the years are chronicled, under the excellent direction of Cassie Chapados, it’s clear how much Pepperberg must give over to her animal cognition studies. She’s teaching categories and objects and the like to Alex, but it’s tough to get funding and respect, keep the spark in her marriage alive, support her husband’s dreams and stay connected to other humans. She does maintain a deep friendship with Lourdes Acevedo despite their differences in their approach to their work.
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