Let Me Hear You Whisper

Play by Paul Zindel has lonely woman (Ruth White) getting a job as a night-time cleaner in a research lab where animal experimentation occurs. It seems there's a dolphin there that scientists of trying to teach to talk so that the sea mammals can be used in warfare.

Once the woman learns of the real purpose for the experiments and once the dolphin begins to speak to her (asking for help) it changes her attitude and she decides to help the animal escape by delivering it to a nearby river where it can find its way back to the sea.

Although there are differences, the basic plot of this play is very similar to THE SHAPE OF WATER (2017) which elaborates on the basic ideas and characters.

White is very good as the not-too-bright woman who slowly comes to realization that she indeed has a connection to the dolphin. Elizabeth Wilson is also terrific as the supervisor who easily bats away any pesky ideas about the morality of experimenting on animals. Philip Bruns plays the annoying handyman, and Iggie Wolfington and Anthony Holland play the scientists.

The only thing that works against this 2-act play is the puppet and voice used for the dolphin. Even by 1969 standards, it's pretty primitive.

I bought this tape because Ruth White was a Perth Amboy gal who died before my own birth. Ruth plays the role of Helen exquisitely. Ruth White died before her time in my opinion. Had she had lived longer? She would have done so much more on stage, film, and television. Ruth is the heart and soul of this theatrical production. Too bad, New York Television Theater does not exist anymore because it records historical performances by award winning actresses like Ruth White. She makes Helen to be likable, alive, and even lovable. She learns to bond with the caged dolphin over the span of a few days. Back in 1969, the labs killed the animals once they were finished in the laboratory. The dolphin is poorly constructed and outdated to our contemporary times. But you have to take it with understanding, Ruth White reminds me of an Irish American Judi Dench. I am glad that she came from Perth Amboy and she had returned home to die. She gives a remarkable subtle performance with ever ounce of dedication. Oh if Ruth had lived longer, she would have been awarded. But since she died the same year as the tape quite suddenly from cancer, we have these recorded performances to always remember actresses like Ruth White. Rest in peace, Ruth.