Surrounded by tourists and families I embraced myself for the Shedd Aquarium’s aquatic show: One World. The uncomfortable pebbly concrete seating of the theatre stretched itself in a grand semi-circle across the aquatic pool’s length. The stair style seating flowed downward in a colosseum-like ramp ending at the eerily still pool as if to signal a gladiator-worthy battle would take place in front of our very own eyes.

Before I could settle comfortably into my seat, a wide-smiling man in a headset walked casually in front of the pool. This man spoke in a way it was clear he has to do this at least 5 days a week. All the adults could tell. He was smooth and rehearsed yet natural and engaging. He could turn out a question like, “Who here has been to Shedd before?” and elicit screams of approval rather than a tired raised hand.

As the cold open ended, he walked back into the side caves of the pool as a giant screen covered the window backdrop to the scene. The sheer scale of this feat was enough to capture the momentary attention of a largely pre-pubescent crowd, but there was more drama and flair to be had. As the screen stretched toward the surface of the pool, a battle hymn-esque tune blared into the space as 4 trainers entered stage left. Glistening in their black wetsuits and accessorized with a skinny silver whistle, they sauntered over a narrow trail onto an island in the pool. In a deep, booming voice the screen began to unravel a simple narrative about life on Earth. The dolphins are visible, small, and utterly adorable. They surface to greet their trainer friends one on one.

The narrator is slow, pausing meaningfully instead of punctuating any sentence. Life is everywhere…full of surprising beauty… The screen displays pictures of animals in the wild screen-saver style as the trainers splash their dolphin companions in between giving them snacks of glimmering dead fish from a silver bucket.

Among the extraordinary life on this planet is a species with incredible potential… a bold imagination… and a fearless reach… It is industrious… and creative… with the capacity to connect to others… and to love… that species is you… and that is me. The kids’ minds are blown by this staggering realization while images of bridges, skylines, and streets are projected. Once the mystery species was revealed, a video played of a young boy swimming through an ocean in flippers. What a segue!

After the narrator slowly turned out a few more accessible existential ponderings and obligations, the animals took center stage. Upbeat woodwinds filled the theatre as spotlights shined on selected trainer-dolphin partnerships. This one can spin! This one can back float! This one can swim in reverse upright using only its tail power! I have to admit I was delighted. A soothing children’s choir filtered in, We’re changing up a new…to try to see this world anew…Do the lyrics make sense? No. Are we all right there feeling this song? Yes!

As the song continued, the dolphins seemed to be going for a Cunningham choreography circa Roaratorio. Nothing matches the music on purpose, but when it did there was ample audible approval and attention from the stands. Some dolphins paired up in great floppy jumps arcing over the pool, others swam fast across the length in upside down or upright positions. The dolphins had a small set of moves in their arsenal but they knew how to play to a crowd.

In the next section of the show, another stately narration explained conservation. But this time it was a little defensive. Instead of the universal power of humankind to do good and connect to the Earth, there was a bit of a hey, remember we aren’t SeaWorld!!! underlying tone.

Instead of the dolphins appearing only as the focal point, they now did little flips here and there during the film section. Dolphins love this they do it in the wild! No treats here, forget you’re in a giant columned building downtown.

The narrative then broke into a documentary style tale of Cruz the sea lion. Found emaciated and disoriented, Cruz was saved by the aquarium. After discovering he was blinded by bullet fragments (there was a collective disheartened gasp here) he was nursed back to health by the Shedd staff. A polo and khakis-clad scientist at the Shedd is interviewed onscreen ripe with emotions. Her face fills the screen as if she is Big Brother. The moral messaging isn’t the subtlest but we all love Cruz. We’re rooting for Cruz! She’s teary, we’re sentimental, Cruz gives a trainer a kiss onscreen—what would the animal world be like without aquariums?

Before we could all decompress from the heart touching break in the stimuli-intensive show, two trainers appear between the pool and seating with a wheeled cart. With no warning the box is opened to reveal a pair of penguins who immediately jet out and across the walkway and into the arms of a different trainer. The segment flow isn’t natural especially when taking into account the retro game show style of music blasting as the penguins waddle onward. The loud, Vaudevillian departure from Cruz to the penguins seem to prove as a fan favorite but ends as if you had imagined it in an aquarium nachos-induced fever dream. No real introduction, no debrief.

After another conservation wrap-up screening and another partnered dolphin performance, another rescued animal is profiled. This time, its Dory the mixed breed dog.Yes, a dog. Internally or to a nearby friend, the audience either (????)s or (!!!!!)s with confusion or delight.

But this time, we see the onscreen star in real life. Alongside a trainer, Dory struts onto the walkway prepared with tricks in exchange for treats. Positive reinforcement is the big theme of the day in terms of training. After a few fun examples, the screen splits into a live stream of a dolphin with a trainer and Dory and her trainer. If one barks the other lets out an “eeek!” If one bobs their head so does the other. We’re all connected remember?

Once we say goodbye to Dory and learn the importance of adopting from shelters, there is no time left to waste. Between the young audience members, the jabbing seats, and the remaining square footage of the premium-priced aquarium it’s time to wrap it all up. The grand finale is the familiar smattering of different dolphins performing their classic moves—but this time with revolving spotlights shining on the pool, audience, and wherever else the light can reach. The lazy strobe effect continues until with a giant instrumental crescendo all six dolphins jump out of the water from the back of the pool in a unified, synchronized arch back into the water.

From its description on the website to its assortment of segments, the Shedd grapples with balancing what people expect and want with what people know in the post-Blackfish era of enlightenment.

“Not your typical live animal presentation, Shedd’s aquatic presentation features a rotating group of Shedd residents.

See and hear how animals like beluga whales, sea lions and dolphins at Shedd are cared for every day by their trainers. Then see how the Shedd way of training highlights their incredible natural behaviors.

Witness the beauty of aquatic life, feel the connection we all share with the living world and share the responsibility we all have to care for animal life on this planet.”

We as an audience demand entertainment, narrative, and some ultimately some cutesiness but also need to be able to walk away guilt-free, empowered, not clouded by the disconcerting techniques of any trainers or over-preparedness of the animals. While the smorgasbord of segments only further rush the pace of the twenty-minute show, the Shedd is aware of changes modern aquariums must implement in order to sustain an engaged audience and aren’t afraid to mix it all up in one sitting.