Review: Stellar Ensemble Soars in Wilbury Group's Fantastic STUPID F#%*ING BIRD

There's a moment in the play Stupid F#%*ing Bird, currently playing at The Wilbury Group, where a character talks about how contemporary theaters adapt and transform Shakespeare, making it more "accessible." Certainly, it's always a tricky proposition, altering a classic work and attempting to bring it into the current era while maintaining the aspects and characteristics that made it great. Or, at least, finding a way to reshape it so it will hold up in front of today's audiences, keeping them engaged and entertained within our modern-day context. As written by Aaron Posner, adapted from the classic Anton Chekhov play The Seagull, Bird is a play that more than holds its own as a thought provoking, entertaining and hilarious modern take on a theatrical classic.

While some of the names have changed, Posner's version keeps Chekhov's story mostly intact. The action still takes place on a family estate by a lake, where a young playwright, Con, is about to present his new work in front of some family and friends. In attendance is his mother, Emma, a famous actress with whom he has a more-than-rocky relationship, along with her current significant other, an even more famous writer named Trigorin. Also present are Mash, who is in love with Con, even though that love is not returned, and Dev, who is experiencing an equally unrequited love for Mash. There's also Dr. Sorn, an aging doctor who is Con's uncle, and, finally, the young ingénue actress, Nina, who is the object of Con's affection.

Posner does pare things down a bit, especially when it comes to the size of the cast. Gone are a number of other supporting characters, in favor of the aforementioned seven, giving Posner the chance to focus more on each of them. He also cuts away some of the themes and motifs that run throughout The Seagull, and again puts his focus squarely on one major theme: Love. While there are certainly discussions and debates about other themes (fame, celebrity, mortality, the futility of life, etc.), the characters here are primarily concerned with dealing with love in its many forms, causes, effects, ramifications and how they impact every other part of our lives.

One way that Posner brings love and all its consequences to the surface is by stripping away much of what Chekhov layered onto his play. In The Seagull, it's largely about the subtext, what is not said, what is only hinted at. There is no hinting at anything in this play. Instead, it's shouted, screamed, yelled and put right there, in-your-face. There are still important events that take place offstage, like they do in The Seagull, but gone are the lengthy scenes of characters sitting around making small talk while all the true feelings and emotions boil underneath. Here, everything boils and explodes right on the surface, for better or for worse.

While Posner's adaption does an excellent job of really focusing on and digging deeply into the characters and themes at its heart, it also does something else really well. It fully and absolutely commits to the world it creates and the conventions that are part of that world. Posner is not wishy-washy about what he wants this play to do, how he wants it to be and what he wants the audience to experience. He has a vision and he absolutely goes for it, one hundred and ten percent, from start to finish. And that's a good thing. From the play's very first moment, the audience knows exactly what kind of play they are seeing and what they can expect, and Posner doesn't back away from it for a moment.

What's also impressive is just how well it all works. Lots of plays try to commit to a certain vision or style but it just doesn't pan out. Or they try to throw in things that never really gel or make sense. Breaking the forth wall? That's here. Characters interacting with the audience? Yup, that too. Extended monologues? More than a couple. Most of the time, though, all of the script's elements work perfectly together and work to create and bring to life Posner's vision, rather than distract or take away from it. It must be said that it's "most of the time" only because the script really does falter in the third act. The play becomes too drawn out, going on for far too long as it morphs into "Seven Characters in Search of An Ending."

Third act problems aside, Director Mark Peckham does a wonderful job bringing Posner's off-the-wall world to life. Peckham really strikes the perfect tone for each moment, whether it's an actor's tirade against the audience or a quiet moment of real emotion between two characters. None of it ever feels forced, fake or gimmicky. So many elements are at play, from the various love stories to all the pointed self-deprecation, satire and winking self-awareness, it would be easy for some moment, some joke or line, to get lost in the shuffle. Peckham, though, has given each of those moments their due and taken care to make sure each is handled perfectly.

Assisting Peckham in that achievement are the exceptional actors at his disposal. Leading the way is the Wilbury Group's own leader and Artistic Director, Josh Short, as Con. For this reviewer, it was quite a revelation, having never before seen Short's impressive acting talents. At times resembling a young Alan Alda, Short brings an astounding level of energy and charisma to the role, bringing to believable life everything from nervous, anxious energy to internal, quiet desperation. He creates a completely real, tortured young man who is relatable and sympathetic, who we want to root for, even when he's yelling at us, the audience. Short doesn't appear on stage in many, if any, of his company's productions, so it's fitting that he does so when he's absolutely perfect in the role and hits a no-question-about-it home run.

As Con's love interest, Nina, Shannon Hartman delivers an equally fantastic performance, where she creates a true, believable and wonderful (although tragic) journey. When we first meet her, she's a perfectly fresh-faced and enthusiastic ingénue, ready for her moment on the stage. By the time the play ends, she's been through the wringer and Hartman embodies that change truthfully and perfectly. When she appears in Act Three, she actually seems older. With just her performance, she is able to convey what Nina has been through and what it has done to her, physically and emotionally.

The other love in Con's life, his mother, is played here by Melissa Penick, in a performance that perfectly utilizes her natural energy and charisma. She can, at times, allow all that energy to overwhelm the part she's playing, letting it get a little overbearing or over-the-top. Here, the character is supposed to be overbearing and over the top, overflowing with energy and charisma, and Penick shines in the role. Partly because she is so larger-than-life in many moments, she's even better and more truthful and enjoyable to watch in the quieter, smaller moments. The contrast makes the character's life and journey even more gratifying to watch.

One of the many joys of this production is how, like Penick does, the actors perfectly fit their roles. Andrew Iacovelli is wonderful as Dev, the somewhat shy, timid, socially awkward hopeless romantic. This is one of Iacovelli's best performances in a role that he fills with heart and sincerity, creating a character who is sweet, earnest and lovable, even if he may be naïve, in denial, or both. Likewise, Vince Petronio gives a performance that is among his best. He slips into the role like a comfortable pair of slippers and seems perfectly at ease as Dr. Sorn. At times he's the voice of reason, at other times he's the one making all of us stop and think about our lives, but in every moment Petronio's Dr. Sorn is very real, very approachable and sympathetic.

Another one of the joys of watching this production is getting to watch Rachel Dulude, as Mash, steal every scene she's in, something she's making a habit of doing. Here, to go along with her perfect comic timing, she's also perfected an icy stare that will cut in half whoever she happens to be glaring at. Even when she's bemoaning how depressing and awful her life is, Dulude finds ways to make it surprisingly hilarious. And yes, there are times when hilarity is not called for, when the moment demands real pathos, and she nails those as well. Along with many of the funniest lines, she gets to sing a few hilarious songs, which are among the play's highlights and make one wonder if she might want to consider a part-time career as a country singer.

Finally, it's hard to put a finger on what, exactly is off about Brien Lang's performance as Trigorin, the famous writer who is loved by both Emma and the young Nina. It's partly due to the fact that Posner doesn't really give Trigorin much to do or many good moments or lines. More than once, he is relegated to sitting silently and listening while another character does all the talking or singing. It's also partly because Lang just doesn't seem right for the role, not in the same way the rest of the cast so perfectly fill theirs. It's hard to get the feeling from Lang that Trigorin is a famous writer with women throwing themselves at him. When Nina does just that, his reaction seems wrong, not at all like someone who has been through that experience before. Part of the problem is also that Lang just gets drowned out, in a sense, in terms of energy and charisma, by the rest of the ensemble. He's basically holding up a cigarette lighter next to the supernova that is the collective energy and charisma of his fellow actors.

Those who love Chekhov and The Seagull will likely love this play and all the opportunities to compare and contrast the original and the adaptation, to discuss the similarities and differences. Those who have never read The Seagull will still love this play and should most definitely see it. Posner has created an adaptation which maintains the heart and soul of the original while transferring the story and characters seamlessly into our own time. It's as deep and profound as it is cheeky and satirical. And it's absolutely, undeniably hysterical. With an amazing cast leading the way, Wilbury Group has set the bar very high, and even though it's only January, this may be the funniest play you will see in 2016.

Stupid F#%*ing Bird is running through February 6th at The Wilbury Group, located at 393 Broad Street in Providence. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday (31st only) at 2:00. Tickets are available through the company's website at www.thewilburygroup.org.

Pictured: Rachel Dulude. Photo by Maggie Hall

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