In the opening scene of Michael Harren’s The Animal Show, the solo performer describes his veganism as a pair of “rose-colored glasses.” The animals he services at the Tamerlaine Farm Animal Sanctuary (where he was a resident artist) do not celebrate his veganism the way other humans might: they see him as an equal. Harren opts to position himself between animal and human as a spokesperson for the sanctity of all animals and tells us why we should love and cherish them.

A seasoned composer, Harren looks most comfortable at the helm of his keyboard. Leah Coloff and David Packer contribute beautiful string accompaniment to the electronic soundscapes of the show. Perhaps the projections weren’t working on the night of my attendance, but the ambience of the performance certainly called for them. Harren’s best moments as a writer came in his discussions of his time at the sanctuary, though the dialogue is also peppered with detours into his personal life and Eastern religion.

All in all, I read Harren’s The Animal Show as a condemnation of animal torture: an important message worthy of a spotlight. However, the show shined brightest when it celebrated the lives of the animals that the performer had grown to love throughout his life. Such passages evoked empathy and love from a keen audience. Thus, the heavy condemnations of a presumably downtown, vegan audience left a bit to be desired. Whichever way you choose to read it, The Animal Show is a touching experience for people who love animals.