Review: THE BIRDS Awes with the Apocalypse

A relatively new theatre group, the Michiana PlayMakers, just closed the show, The Birds, by Conor McPherson, based on a story from Daphne DuMaurier. The play follows a few characters struggling to survive the end of the world; birds have become murderous animals and society is on the brink of extermination. The story is gripping, uncomfortable, and suspenseful, a real psychological thriller. These intense emotions are only able to be felt by audience members because the Michiana PlayMakers absolutely nailed their interpretation of the story.

For a newer group that has to move from space to space for each show, the production quality for the show was praiseworthy. This show took place in the hip, warehouse-esque LangLab, a space that added to the shows atmosphere. LangLab was freezing, something that the character's themselves were suffering through as they hid from the birds, and the too-large room, that left a lot of empty space around the audience, seemed to heighten the loneliness and isolation that the characters, once again, were also experiencing as seemingly the last people on earth. Even without a sound board and their own lights, most of the sound and light transitions were flawless, with only a few moments where the music cuts were too blunt and the sound effects were too loud over the actors. Without risers, everyone was seated on the same level which was only a hindrance in a few moments, with the PlayMakers expertly using blocking to try to accommodate everyone's eyeline - a true testament to their expertise even without all the necessary accoutrements.

However, the one thing that was truly, truly impressive was the level of talent each actor in the cast displayed. The acting was phenomenal, just absolutely mind blowing. Each actor performed with such intensity and high attention to detail to their character's emotional roller coaster that it was easy to be completely captivated by the story. Their dynamics were flawless; they fed off each other's energy and easily conveyed the subtleties in the differences between each character's relationships to one another. Richard Isacson perfectly played the teetering on insanity character Nat. Isacson was impeccable in his vast range of emotions. He never once completely dropped the fear and desperation of his character (even in tender moments). It is also an amazing feat for someone who has such a physically commanding presence to so convincingly convey his characters embarrassingly fragile mind and being. April Sellers played the quietly fierce survivalist, Diane. Sellers was remarkable with her ability to conveys Diane duel nature of being soft and caring as well as commanding and forceful. It was also equally inspiring that Sellers kept under her sleeve the biggest plot twist of all, something that I am sure no one saw coming because of Sellers ability to capitalize on the subtle nuances of her character. Jessica Johnson played Julia, a later addition to the surviving pair. Johnson's portrayal of Julia was utterly comprehensive, complete with distinct tendencies and ticks for her character as well as an ability to play her various depths of emotion. There wasn't a moment where Johnson wasn't obviously enthralled in her portrayal of Julia, and it was one of the best performances of the night. Each actor was unequivocally, perfectly cast.

The Michiana PlayMakers truly brought The Birds to life, creating a beautiful piece of theatre under the direction of Crystal Ryan. Don't hesitate to check out the rest of their upcoming season in hopes that the high quality found in The Birds continues in their next productions.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Rizk

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