Unemployed Elephants—A Love Story 

Reviewed by Lara J. Altunian 
The Little Victory Theatre at The Victory Theatre Center 
Through April 15 

RECOMMENDED 

Wendy Graf’s Unemployed Elephants—A Love Story sets a romantic comedy against a complicated socio-political backdrop in a way that is both satisfying and awkward. The ambiguity of the story’s context ultimately adds some depth to the characters’ perspectives, and while the two leads walk a fine line between tone deafness and charm, their performances are honest and the show’s humor indisputable.

The play opens with a scene at a rainy airport where a man and a woman are waiting to board a flight to Myanmar. Immediately they clash, with the woman (Brea Bee) criticizing technology and claiming that the trip is a perfect way to disconnect from everything. Her sparring partner (Marshall McCabe) mocks her, eggs on her tantrums, and discusses the reason for his trip — an Animal Planet story on unemployed elephants. We soon learn that the largest population of elephants in captivity resides in Myanmar; many were previously utilized by the now-shrinking timber industry, which has suffered cutbacks due to restrictive export laws. Now the bored, former members of the logging workforce are frustrated with their aimless daily existence and feel sex-starved.

The paths of this man and woman continue to cross throughout their stay, and their unrelenting curiosity about one another develops into fondness. They decide not to disclose their names in order to keep things “simpler.” Their renewed passion for life is channeled into an embarking sense of adventure, as the “Animal Planet producer” reveals he is actually on a mission to bring back his sister Katie, who has become obsessed with the country’s elephant issue and is now a Buddhist monk who no longer keeps in touch with her family. Their journey grows more complicated, and it doesn’t take long before we realize that both characters are not entirely who they seem. Despite their shifting and troublesome backstories, their emotions remain raw, and romance inevitably blossoms between the two.

Comic attempts (primarily from the woman) to stay offline and tech-free keep the characters focused on the here-and-now, juxtaposing their perspective of Myanmar via guidebooks, etc. with the real cultural and physical beauty they eventually take in during their stay. Their initial response is particularly insensitive. McCabe’s character briefly mocks the language while his companion makes such statements as “my tour guide says they [the Myanmarese] are kind of barbarians.” These remarks come off as especially offensive — and they’re meant to, coming as they do from a jaded white man and an uppity white woman who has neurotically researched every detail about a country which (she reveals early on) she’s not that interested in visiting.

But eventually both characters begin to recognize how interesting and culturally complex Myanmar is. As their understanding grows, and as they evolve in their acceptance of one another and in what life has handed them, you come to respect them a bit more. 

Bee and McCabe are good as the quibbling duo who try hard to keep their budding relationship in the present. Their characters mesh well but remain sufficiently distinct from one another to allow for depth and an interesting dynamic. Though their romance is the main focus of the play, interweaving it with the more serious issues taking place with Katie and within Myanmar helps shine a light on the “big picture,” presumably the playwright’s intent.

Director Maria Gobetti does an excellent job in overseeing the tech, which includes frequent scene changes on the small proscenium at the Little Victory. Coupled with Nick Santiago’s projections, Carol Doehring’s lighting, and Noah Andrade’s vibrant sound effects, they bring the whole thing to life.

The play was well-received by audience members the night I went to see it and the cute rom-com provides a fun ’90s flashback any French Kiss fan might adore. Though the pressing real-life issues taking place within the country are tip-toed around a bit forcefully, the overall reminder to take a breath and a good look around holds true regardless of where you may be in your life.

The Victory Theatre Center, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.; through Mar. 15. (818) 841-5422(818) 841-5422(818) 841-5422841-5422(818) 841-5422841-5422(818) 841-5422841-5422 or https://ci.ovationtix.com/35020. Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.