The Birds

×

Expand

Jonathan J. Miner

Two actors around a table.

John Jajewski (left) and Carrie Sweet in the Mercury Players Theatre production "The Birds," 2023.

Mercury Players Theatre goes back to the source material, a short story by Daphne du Maurier, rather than the Hitchcock film, for this play. A couple takes refuge from attacking birds in a scary house. To augment the claustrophobic feeling, the audience will be seated on the stage with the actors for this production, and The Birds will be performed with the curtains closed. And there’s a suitably macabre opening night date of Friday the 13th. Shows are at 8 p.m. on Thursday-Saturday (but 4 p.m. on Oct. 28) and 4 p.m. on Oct. 22.

10/13-28, Bartell Theatre, at 8 pm Thursday-Saturday (4 pm on 10/28) and 4 pm, 10/22. $25.

media release: By Conor McPherson / based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier. Directed by Matt Reines / Assistant-Directed by Sean Langenecker

In an isolated house, strangers Nat and Diane take shelter from relentless masses of attacking birds. They find relative sanctuary but no comfort or peace: there’s no electricity, little food, and a nearby neighbor may still be alive and watching them! Another refugee arrives with some news of the outside world, but her presence also brings discord. Their survival becomes even more doubtful when paranoia takes hold of the makeshift fortress – an internal threat to match that of the birds outside. It’s a gripping, unsettling, and moving look at human relationships in the face of societal collapse.

LIMITED SEATING: To heighten the effect of isolation, the audience will be seated on the Drury stage and the actors will perform with the curtains closed.