University of Virginia Library

Minor Hall Besieged By Birds

A toucan, hoopoe, macaw,
rufous-crowned roller, and
ple gallinule will be among
the 22 different types of birds
to be seen on the Miner Hall
stage August 7-11 when the
Virginia Players present their
final production of the summer
season, Aristophanes' The
Birds.

Witnessing this colorful
role-call of birds will not be the
only unique experience for
theatergoers, however. Of
major import is the fact that
this production is an original
musical staging of the classical
Greek comedy, which,
according to director Robert
McLaughlin, will use a "highly
theatrical adaptation of the
traditional script."

Plotted about the
adventures of two citizens of
Athens who, disillusioned with
the corruption and materialism
of their society, seek peace and
happiness in the fantastical
kingdom of the birds, the play
supplies a good deal of satirical
comment as well as comedy.

Twelve musical numbers
have been written and arranged
by McLaughlin, an assistant
professor of drama, in
collaboration with Peter Ryan,
a playwright and composer
living in Charlottesville, and
Michael Loos, a professional
musician and New York
University student currently
attending summer school at

U.Va. Loos will head the
five-piece band which will be
part of the production.

"When we began this whole
thing," McLaughlin says, "I
knew I wanted to do more
than just a traditional chanting
of lines, but I didn't know
exactly what form it would
take." Then Ryan and Loos
turned up at tryouts, were cast
in the show, and the three of
them began getting together
with ideas, suggestions, and
partial melodies.

After an innovative few
weeks of composing on their
own and with each other, a
fully arranged score took
shape. "We presented it to the
company in the first week of
rehearsal," McLaughlin says.
"They in turn gave further
ideas and suggestions, and we
began to add on new bits as
well as delete those that didn't
work. The entire show has
been a company effort."

After the musical numbers
were set, choreography was
added by Lois Garren of the
drama faculty. Ms. Garren also
designed the intricate bird
masks and costumes, a task
which required the researching
of hundreds of different types
of birds.

"The result," she says, "is
both Greek and modern, both
human and non-human. The
actors will also use body paint,
which they are mixing and
blending themselves."

George Black has designed a
set consisting of platforms,
slides, and ladders that will be
used by the birds for perching.
climbing, and "flying." The
lighting is by Essex Scales.

Tickets may be obtained at
the Minor Hall box office
between 2 and 5 p.m., or
reserved by calling 924-3051.
Each performance begins at 8
p.m.