Let Me Hear You Whisper (1969)

By Paul Zindel. Set in a research laboratory that embodies the mechanical, detached attitudes of the 20th century science, this play tells the poignant story of a friendless, simple scrubwoman (Ruth White) and a dolphin who stubbornly refuses to talk to anyone but her. Despite the earnest attempts of her supervisor to indocrinate her, she cannot understand the cold, intellectual atmosphere. Secretly, she and the dolphin become friends and together strike a blow for love and understanding that baffles the experts. For this production, famed puppeteer Bil Baird created a life-size dolphin puppet that he both manipulates and acts as its voice. The Modern Jazz Quartet improvised and performed the original score.

NIGHT OF THE DOLPHIN

A night cleaning woman (Ruth White in a deadpan and delightful performance), develops a relationship with a dolphin in an animal experimentation building in this amusing and slightly bizarre New York Television Theatre entry in the Broadway Theatre Archive Series by Paul Zindel. Originally broadcast in 1969, the teleplay offers some quirky '60's socio-psyche humor regarding the contrast between the animals, doomed for painful scientific study, and the simple, lower class, and seemingly lonely New York cleaning woman; On her first night on the job, her cloying and dutiful supervisor, (an over-the-top and funny Elizabeth Wilson), asks what she thought of the job interview in the Personal Office. It went something like this - She responds, "Some of the questions made me uncomfortable". - "REALLY? WHAT QUESTIONS?" - "They asked me if when I'm watching television, do I sometimes feel when the audience laughs, they are laughing at me?". - "WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM?" - "I told them I don't have a television".

This is a fun and low-key theatrical outing featuring a dolphin prop puppet that wouldn't feel out of place on Sesame Street, circa 1969. Music is performed and improvised by The Modern Jazz Quartet, including a repeating, taped vocal monotone version of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", in an effort to make the dolphin talk. Oh, did I mention the dolphin talks? There is a scene where Helen the cleaning woman is attempting to understand what the dolphin is saying, and given this sweet unpretenious comedy, it is really an eloquent and touching scene. January 21, 2008

Ruth's last hurrah!

Ruth White was a Broadway stage, film, and television actress with an enormous range of talent. None better than in this 70 minute display. She plays a lonely night cleaner in a science laboratory. She befriends the dolphin and they form a unique communication between them that they understand. The dolphin represents her in many ways. The dolphin is trapped in a pool of water with no where to go. He wants to go to the sea and Ruth's character would do anything for him. If the dolphin does not talk to others, he will lose his life. Ruth's admirable performance is worth watching. If you're a Ruth White fan, you will certainly appreciate this drama. Bil Baird is the puppeteer behind the dolphin and Elizabeth Wilson plays a very cold well-meaning night manager. All of the characters appear to be as lonely as the dolphin in the cage. September 10, 2005

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