Dr. Jane Goodall
Fisher Theatre
Monday, Sept. 8
After meeting Dr. Jane Goodall, you’ll likely suffer from “Goodall guilt.”
That’s not her fault. It is, however, just a little hard to feel accomplished after meeting the 91-year-old ethologist (the study of animal behavior, which Dr. Goodall studied, although a lot of people have called her a primatologist over the years because of her work with chimps in particular).
I mean, even the idea of reviewing her talk in Detroit feels a little odd. But considering I’ve seen a lot of these “come and see [insert famous person talk]” shows that are becoming more popular as a touring performance, it feels fair because it was stronger than others I’ve seen.
That inspiration runs through not only the stories she tells, but the actual effort she’s still putting in. Even at her age, Dr. Goodall still travels the world sharing her story with kids and adults alike for sold-out speaking engagements like this one inside the Fisher Theatre, which is normally used for touring Broadway musicals.
While there weren’t any dazzling musical numbers, Dr. Goodall still put on a hell-of-a-show for 91. Her insatiable curiosity for the world is a show-stopper in its own right!
“I think Detroit is happy I’m here,” joked Dr. Goodall at the beginning of her evening.
Hearing her speak for over an hour about her life will give you that “Goodall guilt.” There’s so much to unpack, from her global conservation efforts, her childhood and the influence of her parents on her curiosity, plus her groundbreaking work with chimps and the people along the way that helped her, even at a time when women scientists weren’t taken seriously in her field or others.
It’s a story of inspiration, which Dr. Goodall used to help reassure the next generation that there’s still work to be done.
“Go to your community and what you care about,” Dr. Goodall told me during our interview pre-show. “Get involved. If you want to make a difference, you can in your community. It’ll make you feel good. It’ll inspire other people.”
Yes, I got to interview Dr. Goodall before the show and even learned how to make “pant-hoot” noises that chimpanzees use to identify themselves to other chimps. It was one of the most surreal moments of my life.
And on top of that, one of my favorite moments of Dr. Goodall’s talk is about her relationship with her mother. It’s a story that’s been rattling around my head ever since she told it on stage.
When Dr. Goodall was a little girl, she picked up a huge pile of dirt filled with earthworms and brought it into her bed. Her mother saw this and, instead of scolding her like maybe other parents would, she simply said, “Jane, these earthworms might die if we don’t put them back.”
Dr. Goodall said that if her mother had “crushed her curiosity” at that point, she didn’t know if she would have become the groundbreaking scientist she’s now globally known as.
“My mother knew I had the makings of a little scientist,” Dr. Goodall said from the stage.
It hit extra hard sitting a row behind at least a dozen young girls who were there to hear Dr. Goodall speak with their parents, who hopefully got the message, too.
“Every single day you live, you make some kind of impact,” said Dr. Goodall. “You get to choose what sort of impact you make. And that’s a message for all of us.”
During her stop in Detroit, I heard that message loud and clear.
