The Black Bird Soars

The artistic team of Alexis Kozak and Barbara Panas presented their first shared writing credit with KoPan's production of The Black Bird Returns, an intelligent story of love, its unrequited nature and its ability to be a constant in a world of changes.

Kozak and Panas deserve much praise as their collaborative writing skills manage to tap into a very "real" area of how the heart can feel. The script brings about a story on stage that allows the audience to witness how love can split us in two ways, whether it is rational or not. Former college lovers Cliff (David Walters) and Kat (Barbara Panas) meet up one day which leads them down paths that neither character could have predicted but both secretly wanted. While Cliff and Kat are each currently involved with someone else, they find that their "secret" time spent together offers something that their current relationships lack. Philosophical thinking and simple yet spontaneous outings fill Cliff and Kat's lazy days together as they soon begin to realize that they were right for each other all along. But then the play makes the audience challenges that thought. Is there only one true soul mate out there for everyone? Is it possible to love two individuals at once? While Cliff and Kat beg these questions of each other, the audience is given a window to into just how tumultuous love can turn things into.

A Love Triangle: From Left Julie Jensen, David Walters and Barbara Panas

The audience soon learns that Kat has no remorse pretending to be faithful to her current boyfriend Roger (Douglas Lally) and that Cliff continuously rationalizes his secret love making sessions with Kat while his girlfriend and soon to be wife Amanda (Julie Jensen) is pregnant at home with their first child. The actors somehow make it all appear so simple and understandable on stage - and potentially even in real life - how love can take us down these roads that only cause more harm. But the script quickly turns that around when the plot reveals that Cliff has been diagnosed with cancer and is not expected to live for very long. Suddenly, The Black Bird Returns is no longer about wandering hearts, but rather about the heart following its own desire, even if it does mean loving more than one.

Barbara Panas and David Walters in "The Black Bird Returns"

In addition to its intriguing storyline, The Black Bird Returns offers numerous aspects that make it a quality production. The dialogue is well paced and keeps the storyline moving at a comfortable tempo. Both Kozak and Panas portrayed depth in each character without going over the top or using up precious time to make them seem relatable. The casting also deserves credit as each character appeared extremely "normal" to the audience. The well advised physical portrayal of the four characters further enhanced how commonplace this scenario is in our society. The balance between the physical commonality and the extreme circumstances allows the audience to imagine that anyone could be up on stage, potentially even themselves, because the situation seems relatable in such a mesmerizing way. And despite the heavy topic, The Black Bird Returns peppers the dialogue with humor and comical metaphors to explain various character emotions. In one scene love is compared to shoes. It is explained that some people can be happy with one pair of shoes because those shoes go with everything. Other people need different shoes for the different situations. The dialogue explains that neither theory is wrong, but rather is just a reflection of how love, or shoes, can be viewed by different people. In another scene where Cliff convinces Kat that she can have both relationships he says, "You don't have to love me 100%. I just want to pull a high 'C' or a low 'B.'" The dialogue is extremely convincing and wisely stays away from too many heavy monologues which could potentially weigh down the plot. Instead, the banter between characters is sharp, witty and to the point while losing none of the message.

Kozak and Panas make an extremely impressive collaborative writing debut with The Black Bird Returns. Their style of writing, choice of character and new perspectives on tried and true themes results in a refreshing experience at the theater. Keep an eye for their next endeavor as KoPan Productions becomes a name that is hard to ignore in the theater world.

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