University of Virginia Library

STAGE

'The Birds': An Aristophanic Rock Romp

THE BIRDS. A musical in two
acts based on Aristophanes "The
Birds." From an acting edition
prepared by Walter K. Music by
Peter Ryan, Michael Loo, and
Robert McLaulin, Directed by
Robert McLaulin. Choreography
by Los Garren, Set design by
George Blak. Costumes by Los
Grren Presented by the Virginia
Players. At Minor Hall through
Saturday.

The Virginia Players have
hatched the youngest and
brightest egg in their nest of
productions for their Summer
Festival of Comedies with an
original rock adaptation of
Aristophanes' classic Greek
comedy, The Birds.

This newest fledgling from
the clutch is a bird of a
different feather. Where Play It
Again, Sam and Barefoot In
The Park were good, proven
comedies done well enough,
this play, as adapted, was
unproven, innovative, and
ambitious. Opening night it
was proven – and done well.

Aristophanes' plot, as
loosely prepared by Walter
Kerr, follows two men of
Athens who, feeling cooped up
by the boredom and political
corruption of their society, fly

away to the fantasy kingdom
of the birds in their pursuit of
happiness. This ageless script
proves a timely satire of our
Watergate era.

Director Robert
McLaughlin has blended the
Greek comedy form –
absurdity, raunchy (very
raunchy) humor, audience
involvement, poking fun at
gods, muses, poets, and
prophets – with the musical
life and rhythm of rock
musicals such as Godspell in
collaboration with Peter Ryan
and Michael Loos, producing a
funny, delightful, sometimes
spine-tingling evening that
could be a success anywhere.
("Could" would be "would"
but for some moments in the
second act that, relative to the
brightness of the rest of the
play, are less lively.)

The most vibrant life in the
production is provided by the
chorus of birds, and while
individually excellent
performances were the rule,
special audience appreciation
was given Kit Kittle as the
toucan butler, the first to
appear, for his inspired
interpretation of bird
movements and noise, and to
Eileen L. Epperson, as the
macaw who serves as chorus
leader for her song
movement, and character.

Lois Garren has provided
the birds with impressionistically
vivid costumes and
suitably hypnotic dance,
making them the foundation
that the play could not do
without. Because their
performance (especially their
musical numbers) moves the
play, they should take care
that their few lapses in the
clarity of lyrical projection do
not occur.

Peter Ryan as Pithetarerus
leads the birds in their
conquest over man and the
gods with the boisterous flair
of a traveling folk
singer/soldier-of-fortune. While
his talent as an entertainer,
especially in the character of
this role, is obvious, his stage
presence as an actor seems at
times awkward, and his voice
loud without projection. While
this would otherwise be
detrimental, it surprisingly
supports the character as he
plays it here, and might prove
an asset. The opening night
crowd accepted it – with loud
applause at curtain calls.

He is supported admirably
by James Dillon as Euelpides,
his sidekick, Howard McComas
as the king of the birds, a very
funny Iris played by Anne M.
Gartlan, and a host of
character players. The quality
of individual performances was
so good that the audience
spontaneously applauded them
repeatedly.

The musicians were led
through styles from fifties'
twist to contemporary rock by
Michael Loos. This could have
been difficult because of their
presence on stage in costume as
part of the play, but their
performance was professional.
They earned their applause.

While the intimacy of the
theater at Minor Hall is a boon
for the choreography and the
play-audience interaction, the
small stage size is an
unfortunate hindrance to
George Black's set and Essex
Scales' lights. The set,
consisting of ramps, platforms,
and ladders, could have used
more space. The lights, less
imaginative than the play but
adequately colorful, cast
numerous unpreventable
shadows where they interfered
with the sets.

It is to the credit of the
Players that these constraints,
and the interruptive seating of
late arrivals does not prevent
them from attaining such an
overall smooth performance.

To parrot a line from the
play, "Like a newborn bird
fresh from the egg – you learn
to fly one step...and then
another." The Birds took off
Tuesday night, and if they take
heart from another famous
bird – Jonathan Livingston
Seagull – and an opening night
audience's applause, they'll fly
higher...and higher...and
higher.

—Jim Noeldner