Jane Goodall is a renowned zoologist and primatologist who, at almost 91, has the distinction of being a household name. The new play Have You Met Jane Goodall and Her Mother? is a breezy telling of her origin story and path to success. Written by Michael Walek, it presents the biographical and historical facts of six months that Goodall spent in Tanganyika while conducting her observations of chimpanzees, but with the addition of three possibly imaginary fellows she meets there. Her facts, and their fiction, make for a winning mash-up.
Gil Scott-Heron’s Bluesology
Playing at the Soho Playhouse as part of the Fringe Encore series, Gil Scott-Heron’s Bluesology is a heartfelt tribute of spoken-word and musical performance full of angst and warmth, lovingly hosted by his daughter Gia Scott-Heron. Gil Scott-Heron, who died in 2011, was a spoken-word artist and musician, and the show presents 17 of his works from a career that extended from 1970 through 2010. Bluesology is how he described his work—he saw himself as “a scientist who is concerned with the origin of the blues.”