‘Unemployed Elephants’ triumphs at the Little Victory Theatre

"Turn it into your story. Own the narrative."

I reflect on the words spoken in Wendy Graf's play at the Little Victory Theatre in Burbank, CA. "Unemployed Elephants" lets audiences sit back and reconsider love, friendship, and the truth, and teaches us to live in the moment, even if it hurts. "Unemployed Elephants" highlights Brea Bee and Marshall McCabe in the portrayals of two unnamed people on vacation in Myanmar. They are there studying elephants, on an abandoned marriage's honeymoon, with the FBI, camera crew for Animal Planet, unplugged – it is unclear why each of them take this trip, but through lies and discoveries, the story moves forward, encouraging each character to get to know the other a bit better.

In "Unemployed Elephants," director Maria Gobetti takes the audience on a journey into Myanmar in 2015, in a world where Rohingya Muslims find themselves fleeing their homes to escape ethnic cleansing. The two protagonists, whose names are not clearly defined in the play, meet while waiting to board the plane to Myanmar. While at first it does not seem like the two will get along, it is the drive, humor, and rationality of the characters that lets the journey begin.

Through fights and laughter, hugs and cries, laughter and relief, director Maria Gobetti and her cast play with Graf's text, brilliantly showing a modern day audience what love can be.

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Unemployed Elephants runs at The Little Victory Theatre, 3324 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, CA at 8pm Fridays-Saturdays, 4pm Sundays. Ends April 15. For tickets, please visit www.thevictorytheatrecenter.org or call (818)841-5422.

Tickets: $24-$34

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes