Aristophanes' The Birds

Aristophanes would have delighted in watching this modern-day cast of about a dozen or so in this not-exactly-word-for-word adaptation lambast their own current social and political environment and take their own path in finding the humor in the play. For me, the Bird Chorus ensemble steals the show, and fiercely establishes the surreality of the entire situation. ... full review

The Birds is a fabulous show filled with amazing comedy, music, and political commentary.... full review

It's perhaps important to remember that at every stage of the development of the idea of democracy there has been cautions regarding the potential pitfalls inherent in the system that can't necessarily be baked out of the system and fall on the participants to guard against. The production approaches Aristophanes The Birds with that premise, roughly paraphrased from the notes in the program. What that entails is the basic story of The Birds, who set up their own utopia between the earth and the gods and updating its references and jokes, making the implication that our modern political climate is exactly what Aristophanes was trying to warn against. This makes the old Greek satire accessible and relevant. With each performer able t... full review

The production was enjoyable though the comedy was hit and miss for me, I thoroughly found myself engrossed in the charm of each individual actor, so much so, I later realized there was close to no set dressing. I wasn’t familiar with this play by The Father of Comedy, Aristophanes, written a couple years ago in 414 BC. The adaptation was a reflection of our current state in the political arena, but sadly, it seems these patterns were no different from when the play was first written. The performance of the humans, Lemon and Brenda were sly and deviously entertaining. I admit I didn’t realize they were supposed to be men. Maybe they should change the gender since they’re adapting or cast men. The birds themselves were a colorful musical gro... full review

ARISTOPHANES’ THE BIRDS IS A MOUTHFUL, THAT THIS PRODUCTION DIDN’T CHOKE ON IT AND STILL MANAGE TO SPIT A COUPLE OF WELL AIMED WADS IN THE DIRECTION OF THAT TROLL IN THE OVAL OFFICE IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO RECOMMEND IT. THAT IT WAS ALSO FUNNY IS JUST ICING ON THE CAKE. (WAIT! THAT ISN’T “ICING,” IT’S - DAMN THOSE BIRDS!!!)... full review

The show was a brilliantly-packaged mix of comedy, satire and song that subtly deals with many of our country's current issues - as seen thru the lens of its two human characters. ... full review

A smart and engaging reimagining of a classic - and very timely!... full review

Wow, a lot of care and talent went into making this production all it could be! ... full review

Original, fun, ambitious!... full review

A vibrant, kaleidoscopic revisitation of a classic. Tackling Aristophanes is always a challenge, but the ensemble makes the devised work feel fresh, and it's amazing how much of the original text feels like it could have been written yesterday amidst our current political insanity. The ensemble and the director have made some great choices to keep the pace moving and avoid getting the material mired in the pacing issues that the Greek comedies sometimes wrestle with. A fantastic hour of theater -- though *not* the escapist piece that so many 'students' of Aristophanes have viewed it as . . the story of a con-man exploiting the marks as he rises to -- and abuses -- power is one that hits all too close to home. ... full review