12 Peers to Present THE BIRDS by Conor McPherson
By: BWW News Desk Jul. 20, 2016
Daphne Du Maurier's short story, also the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's classic film, is boldly adapted by Conor McPherson-a gripping, unsettling, and moving look at human relationships in the face of societal collapse.
In an isolated house, strangers Nat (Nick Mitchell) and Diane (Gayle Pazerski) take shelter from relentless masses of attacking birds. They find relative sanctuary but not comfort or peace; there's no electricity, little food, and a nearby neighbor may still be alive and watching them. Another refugee, the young and attractive Julia (Sara Ashley Fisher), 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.
The Birds features Gayle Pazerski as Diane, Nick Mitchell as Nat/Tierney, and Sara Ashley Fisher as Julia. Creative team includes Andrew David Ostrowski (lighting design), Hank Bullington (set design), Angela Baughtman (sound design), Madison Hack (props and costume design), and Alex Barnhart (technical director).
Conor McPherson was born in Dublin in 1971. His plays include Rum & Vodka (Fly by Night Theatre Company, Dublin), the Good Thief (Dublin Theatre Festival; Stewart Parker Award), This Lime Tree Bower (Fly by Night Theatre Company, Dublin/Bush Theatre; Meyer-Whitworth Award), St Nicholas (Bush Theatre/Primary Stages, New York), the Weir (Royal Court/Duke of York's/Walter Kerr Theater, New York; Laurence Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics' Circle, George Devine Awards), Dublin Carol (Royal Court/Atlantic Theater, New York), Port Authority (Ambassadors Theatre/Gate Theatre, Dublin/Atlantic Theater, New York), Shining City (Royal Court/Gate Theatre, Dublin/Manhattan Theater Club, New York; Tony Award nomination for Best Play), the Seafarer (National Theatre/Abbey Theatre, Dublin/Booth Theater, New York; Laurence Olivier, Evening Standard, Tony Award nominations for Best Play) and the Veil (National Theatre).
Theatre adaptations include Daphne Du Maurier's the Birds (Gate Theatre, Dublin/Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis) and August Strindberg's the Dance of Death (Donmar at Trafalgar Studios).
Work for the cinema includes I Went Down, Saltwater, Samuel Beckett's Endgame, the Actors, and the Eclipse. Forthcoming screen work includes an adaptation of John Banville's Elegy for April for the BBC to be broadcast this year. Awards for his screenwriting include three Best Screenplay Awards from the Irish Film and Television Academy, the Spanish Cinema Writers Circle Best Screenplay Award, the CICAE Award for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival and the Melies d'Argent Award for Best European Film.
THE BIRDS by Conor McPherson August 4 - 21, 2016. Press/Opening Night: Thursday, August 4, 2016. Performance Schedule: August 4 - 21, 2016 Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8:00pm Sundays at 2:00pm. Special Event: Artist Night - Monday August 8, 2016 at 8pm. All performances play the Studio Theatre at the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (Oakland). Box office: www.12peerstheater.org or 412.626.6784. Tickets: Pay What You Desire - reserve online or at box office.
12 Peers Theater was founded in 2011. Taking the name from the Twelve Peers of Charlemagne, its mission is to provide challenging and engaging theater for Pittsburgh audiences. 12 Peers Theater highlights social, political, and ethical issues in classical and contemporary works exploring myth and cultural identity, endeavoring to open a dialogue with the audience.
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