The Drilling Company Presents BIRD BRAIN, Begins 3/5

The Drilling Company remounts its production of "Bird Brain" by Vern Thiessen, a fable for young audiences about being a little different.

WHERE AND WHEN:
Open ended run begins March 5, 2011
Saturdays at 2:00 PM, Sundays at noon (no performance March 12). Previews March 5, 6. Opens March 13.
The Drilling Company, 236 West 78th Street, 3 fl. (One block south of the #1 train at 79th Street)
Presented by The Drilling Company
$15 adults/ $12 kids
Box office: Smarttix 212-868-44444, www.smarttix.com
Recommended for ages 4 to 9; runs :45.
REVIEWERS ARE INVITED on or after March 5. Opens March 13.

SYNOPSIS:
Hat Street is a place controlled by rules and regulations and for those living there, following these rules is just part of life. When a hard-working man happens upon baby birds in the forest, he becomes enchanted with their song and gives them shelter under his hat. This makes it difficult to abide with Hat Street's Golden Rule: to always remove your hat in the presence of others. When the Queen comes along and he can't doff his hat even to her he faces a dilemma: will he follow the rules... or follow his heart?

DETAILS AND ARTIST INFO:
To share a delightful family theater production with a wider audience, The Drilling Company will remount "Bird Brain" by Vern Thiessen, directed by Hamilton Clancy, for an open ended run with previews beginning March 5 and opening March 13. The Drilling Company had presented the piece in workshop last Spring. This will be the U.S. Premiere of a play that was originally commissioned by Carousel Players, St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada and debuted there to enthusiastic notices. It's about a hard working woodsman confronted with a terrible conflict: obey the laws of the land or protect the birds in his hat.

Vern Thiessen based his play on the story, "Vogelkopf," by Albert Wendt, who is fairy-tale writer, playwright and author of radio plays and lives near Leipzig, Germany. It was partially developed by Theatre Wrede, Germany.

The Drilling Company, located at West 78th Street near Broadway, is an Upper West Side destination for new works of children's theater in addition to being a prolific presenter of new plays, short plays around common themes, and Shakespeare in the Parking Lot (on the Lower East Side).

Playwright Vern Theissen is one of Canada's most produced playwrights. His plays "Valentine" and "Interest" have been produced by The Drilling Company. His last US production was "A More Perfect Union," presented in 2009 by the Epic Theater Company at the East 13th Street Theater. Thiessen has written for stage, radio and television. His other plays that have been seen in the U.S. include "Shakespeare's Will," "Apple," "Einstein's Gift," "Blowfish," "The Resurrection Of John Frum" and "Vimy." He is a recipient of the Governor General's Literary Award, Canada's highest honor for playwriting.

"Bird Brain" tells the story of a kind-hearted woodcutter who is shamed into keeping a nest of baby birds warm under his hat. The problem is, he lives in a country of ironbound laws and customs, where hats must be removed to show respect to many people, including officials of the realm, your spouse and your customers in trade. The woodcutter has learned, however, that he will be clear-headed so long as the birds live cozily on his head. At first, he runs afoul of a powerful government minister and even his queen with his stubbornness and faces death for his nonconformity. But it's discovered--to his great fortune--that the queen shares his secret and all ends happily. Canadian reviewers have described the piece as a rollicking story well told which will keep young audiences on the edges of their seats.

The actors are Anwen Darcy, Aimee Whelan and Hamilton Clancy as the woodcutter. Production design is by Jennifer Varbalow.

Earlier this season, Director Hamilton Clancy staged "El Viaje de Beatrice" by Andrea Moon. Last season, he produced "Frog Singer" by Laura Strausfeld. Both were at The Drilling Company.

 

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