Review: DANGEROUS BIRDS (IF AGITATED) Take Flight with Tennessee Williams Theatre Company

Like the name suggests, The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company draws its theatrical productions from the evocative catalog of Southern playwright Tennessee Williams. Currently, the company is presenting three rarely performed one-acts from the latter part of Williams' epic career.

Billed together as DANGEROUS BIRDS (IF AGITATED), these one-act plays are not a bit alike, though "The Gnädiges Fräulein," "Sunburst," and "The Pronoun I" are poignant plays inhabited by strange and powerful women and the men who merely occupy space with them. Each act portrays some of Williams' favored themes, most notably survival in an unkind world. Tying them all together is Professor Birdine Hazzard (Bunny Love), an avian-obsessed caricature of Dr. Jane Goodall. Acting as host, Hazzard gives a brief interlude between each scene in a humorous fashion. Her "tail feathers" before the final act will surely catch your attention. Connected by this one consistent character, DANGEROUS BIRDS (IF AGITATED) allows its audience to explore three different times and places in the same night.

First up for the evening is "The Gnädiges Fräulein." Written in 1966, Williams departs from his usual work and creates a surreal farce filled with catty barbs. This one act (which translates from German as "Gracious Young Lady") served as his first dip into the pool of the absurd and was written during a time where Williams was no longer the apple of critics' eyes. In fact, this show originally closed on Broadway in less than a week.

Set in Williams beloved Florida Keys, this first act centers on gossip columnist Polly (Morrey McElroy); her "frenemy," the landlady Molly (Mary Pauley); and the unnamed fräulein (Love), a tragic figure. In search of her next scoop, Polly waltzes in uninvited to Molly's guest house and is already confronted with a strange picture: the front porch is dripping with blood, and a vicious Cocaloony bird (Hébert Benjamin) is circling the property. This is all thanks to the fräulein's constant battles with the human-sized bird who is quite territorial over its fish, leaving the fräulein bloody, near deaf and with one eye. Once a great performer, the blonde fräulein battles with the Cocaloony at the docks to earn her keep by bringing back fish to the guest house.

The choice to perform "Gnädiges," given its less than enthusiastic world premiere, wouldn't necessarily be a poor one if performed well. It says a lot of the cast's acting talents and Director Augustus J Correro's work that the delivery of "Gnädiges" hits its target for an hour-plus rendezvous with mayhem. With the two squabbling hens Polly and Molly, we get to see some hilarious Williams zingers, though the pace of the language feels a little muddy at times. But the swagger and hen pecking is still entertaining when it hits its mark, be it McElroy's Polly switching back and forth between syrupy and vicious, while Pauley's Molly hits back with barbs of her own while rocking with erotic fervor in her front porch chair.

Correro's direction elicits just the right performances from his excellent cast. Benjamin in a delightful feathery getup swoops and stalks as the wordless Cocaloony; Chris Silva plays a nearly naked, big, blond Indian; and Love, in a scraggly blonde wig, is absurd and pitiable as the fräulein, a washed-up one-trick pony.

After intermission, it's "Sunburst," where the audience travels to New York and meets Miss Sails (Pauley), a retired actress in her twilight years. Miss Sails falls hostage to Giuseppe (Pearson Kunz) and Luigi (Silva), two young men scheming to steal her priceless sunburst diamond ring. The only problem for the two would-be thieves is that her knuckle is swollen from arthritis. They can't remove the ring without removing a finger. While it is the shortest act of the night, at times it may be the most entertaining, watching the story escalate as the two men struggle over how they can get the diamond from the actress.

The final act of this madcap evening is "The Pronoun I." Another foray into comic absurdity, this one act is set in medieval England and focuses on the Mad Queen May (Abby Botnick). The people wish to overthrow their ruler and send in a revolutionary (Silva) in to assassinate her. However, the person the revolutionary is meant to kill is a haggard old woman, not the beguiling beauty before him, who insists to her nearly nude and narcissistic courtier (Kunz) that she only likes his poems that don't start with the pronoun "I." Funny thing, all his poems do start with "I."

DANGEROUS BIRDS (IF AGITATED) takes place on the back patio at Phillips Bar and Restaurant, a scenic uptown bar with delicious themed drink specials available (I highly recommend the Mikado Sweet). While you may feel a falling leaf or two on top of your head, it's an overall pleasant, nontraditional venue, where you can grab a bite to eat before the show and indulge in dessert during the second act.

Background noise is minimal, and the outdoor atmosphere adds to the nature atrium setting of the stage. A fun, unintentional element is the wind serving as an excellent accompaniment to certain moments during the show, such as when Pauley performed her Shakespearean recitations. As her fervor increased so did the gust of wind as if she channeled the Bard's very spirit.

This evening of theatre is an enjoyable one that is fitting for the city of New Orleans. With tantalizing burlesque, a bit of sparkle, and more than a few mere glimpses of supple skin, DANGEROUS BIRDS (IF AGITATED) proves that you can have adult fun without going on Bourbon. I only wish I had brought my feather boa with me. I do commend The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company for taking on Williams' often misunderstood plays from his later days. This company surely helps open the door for a new generation of appreciation for his work in its entirety and not just popularity.

"DANGEROUS BIRDS (IF AGITATED)" is now running at Phillips Bar from now to Nov. 20.

It should be noted that these one-act plays are not for meant for children as they contain adult themes, adult language, and partial nudity.

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