On a chilly autumn Thursday, a crowd of about 25 people bundled in coats, arm in arm with friends, piled into the little “black box” theater in the Burlington Road Building. The darkened room featured torn paper on the back wall as part of the set of otherwise black walls, floors as risers. Nothing fancy. And yet out of this unassuming setting came a night filled with the talent, not only of student actors, but also student directors, set managers and playwrights.

Starving Artist Productions is a student-run drama organization, and its latest show, "Zoo Story," is currently running.

Thursday, SAP and Theater Emory presented two plays, "Labyrinth" and "Zoo Story," respectively. "Labyrinth" was in fact a reading, which smiling playwright, Nick Derby, explained earnestly beforehand. Written in a playwriting class last year, "Labyrinth" is still very much a work in progress. Ambitious in scope, it takes on Hinduism, Greek mythology, the grieving process, nudity and an open ending. Nevertheless, black-clad readers Geoff Schorkopf, Clifford Clark and Ari Blinder took on the script energetically, presenting the audience with a range of volumes to reflect the rising emotion.

The premise is that the enchanting Mya has died in childbirth, leaving her twin brother, husband and father all with only their grief and her four-armed, four-legged child.

To remedy the situation, her husband, Walsh, and twin, Michael, construct a maze in which to hide the child, much to the displeasure of the child’s doting, and slightly mad, grandfather.

The ensuing jaunt through psychological terror and trauma is confusing at times, but shows remarkable promise for an intriguing work.

After the lights went down the audience was shepherded out of the small black box for an intermission while the staff set up for "Zoo Story." The first work of American playwright Edward Albee written in 1958, the two-person play is a study in loneliness and connection. Peter (Jon Shapiro) is an upper-middle class, well-established publisher who, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, meets Jerry (Jim Sarbh).

Jerry is a poor, isolated man, living alone, and upon seeing Peter on his way back from the zoo, attempts to engage in conversation.

Jerry explains to Peter about his life in the city. Peter reacts to the stories about Jerry’s deceased family, his drunk, lustful landlady, and a mean dog, with mixed emotion, but wheneever he tries to wander off, Jerry draws him in, tantalizing him with the story of what happened at the zoo.

The script is darkly humorous and engaging, making the shift from reflective and funny to startling intensity seamlessly.

Sarbh’s performance is smooth and effortless, despite several monologues and what must be an intimidating amount of lines. Shapiro too plays his role to perfection, at a moment anxious, intrigued or scandalized.

The two make an engaging team, and their reactions to one another seem as natural and involuntary as though they were living the scene in reality.

For example, when Jerry begins to tickle the Peter, the stuffy working man’s immediate reaction is as surprised, delighted and immediate as his recovery is flustered and slightly embarassed.

Jerry observes with the cool intensity he has exhibited throuhgout. Later when he describes his plan to take revenge on the mean dog by murdering it, Peter reacts to his earnest assurance with convincing horror.

Perhaps the Burlington Road Building black box is not Central Park, or even the fanciest facility at Emory, but Sarbh and Shapiro drew their audience into the scene. The 25 or so in the surrounding chairs who had been relatively silent for the first half came to life during "Zoo Story," laughing, gasping and, at the end, utterly silent out of startled confusion and sadness.

—Contact Frances Allitt.