Asheville – 130 years ago, Russian playwright Anton Chekhov wrote his infamous play, The Seagull, and in 2013, American playwright Aaron Posner adapted that still-relevant work, giving it new life as the satirical play Stupid F#$@%& Bird.
While it has won a variety of prestigious awards, it has only been produced 200 times in the last 12 years, likely due to its title, adult language and themes, and an onstage simulated sex scene.
Fortunately for all of us here in WNC, Asheville Community Theatre’s black box space, 35 Below, is presenting the show’s newest production, collaboratively directed by Steph Hickling Beckman and Katie Jones.
With razor wit, deeply effective monologues, and fully developed characters, I believe it is definitely a “must-see and experience” event.
S.F.B.’s unique script highlights more themes than I probably even realized. The ones that struck me most were childhood trauma, imposter syndrome, depression, narcissism, the warped views and expectations society imposes upon women, the perils of every kind of love, the utter chaos of the mind and soul of an artist, and the Sisyphean task of trying to change our wildly fractured world with the power of art.
The intimate setting of the close, half-round seating in 35 Below helped create a quick camaraderie during the first act. Much of that was accomplished by a sprinkling of breaks in the fourth wall and delightful singing by the always endearing ukulele-playing Glenna Grant.
The fourth wall was not just broken for the odd “nod to the audience that they were watching a play.” The self-awareness of the actors—a theatrical device written into the script—could have come off as campy or contrived, but this cast worked it effortlessly to their advantage.
This ensemble cast has very different backgrounds in both life and theater; however, they share qualities that made this production work, with all its quirks and raw emotions.
They each have the ability to connect with their audience with impressive speed. They possess the skill to offer nuance to their characters that hints at a past, at dreams, at desires and fears—at so much more than was ever written into the script.
Daniel Henry will break your heart as Con, the playwright consumed by love but lacking enough knowledge of being loved to manage his relationship or his feelings. He is boyish and bordering on awkward, making his agony and desperation more visceral when he unleashes it.
Portraying a narcissistic and unknowingly abusive character while still connecting with the audience for their empathy is difficult to accomplish. Jamie Knox achieved that from beginning to end, giving Con’s mother Emma more humanity than the author may have envisioned.
Trigorin, considered one of Chekhov’s greatest male roles, combines a massive ego and sinister selfishness that lie just below an inescapable charm. Jon Stockdale delivers it all with such ease, humor, and near self-effacement that I was surprised at every twist. Sitting in the audience, I felt much like a person who refuses to see the bad qualities of a lover when they are glaringly obvious to everyone around them.
Kathleen Niemann, first introduced as the unaffected, wistfully in love ingénue Nina, transformed brilliantly through multiple facets of this complex character’s journey. Pushed into the stereotypical roles women often find themselves in and then finally experiencing and enduring the traumas and confusion that always follow, Niemann captivated us from the first scene to the last.
Aside from her previously mentioned whimsical singing and ukulele playing, Glenna Grant also stole our hearts as Mash, whose description is often given as manipulative but who Grant played as darkly irresistible.
I am always moved to laughter or tears by Alex McDonald Villareal, Eric Vik, and Scott Fisher, who round out this cast. While I didn’t see Fisher’s performance (he and Villareal share the role of Dev), I assure you I know the unquantifiable skills of all three actors. No matter which performance you see, you will laugh, connect, and be moved like a puppet on a string.
Stupid F#$@%& Bird runs Friday and Saturday, January 17th & 18th, with 7:30 p.m. shows and a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. on the 19th. Tickets and more information can be found at AshevilleTheatre.org.