It’s not just another story about a lovelorn hooker with a heart of gold. This one has, well, wings.
This time the focus isn’t on a pretty young thing yearning to be set free bya wealthy stockbroker with a penchant for spunky young upstarts. This time the focus is on a couple of wealthy stockbrokers and their cushy, privileged lives together.
There are unexpected twists and turns in Rorschach Theatre’s world premiere of “birds,” a modern fairy tale with a very, very dark side. Jennifer Maisel crafts a sleek and superstitious urban yarn that borrows — rather liberally — from the Brothers Grimm account of Jorinda and Joringel, a strange legend about a maiden and her man whose fate is sealed by the selfish deed of a lonely witch.
» The Highlights
In an evening filled with surprising intimations and heaps of feminist poetry, the Sanctuary Theatre at the Casa Del Pueblo falls under a gritty New York trance as witches lament their fate, prostitutes meet their prince and two restless stockbrokers swallow bitter reality.
It’s imaginative work from a playwright who builds a fascinating premise that’s heavily thematic without being heavily stylized. And that’s partly due to the work of director Wendy McClellan, who carefully balances hardcore New York with the familiar magic of sensationalist cinema, marking real time events with a background fantasia of blurry dreams and melodramatic humor.
» The Lowlights
Maisel is a bit of a tease, pecking around the heart of her story with a flighty sense of plot that refuses to land in one spot and stick. The journey is not for those who like the literal or the linear — this is an abstract drama laden with mystery, with no intermission to allow space for speculation.
» The Cast
McClellan directs a gallant cast who delivers Maisel’s stunning revelation in a production that demands we forget about living happily ever after. Jjanna Valentiner and Tim Getman are the pampered pair falling apart at the seams, and both offer vivid portraits of the kind of busybody urbanites who schedule time for sex in between working out and ordering Chinese.
» The Designers
Jacob S. Muehlhausen’s scenic design is a towering newspaper print of the New York City skyline from a bird’s-eye view, and his set keenly moves from bedroom to street corner in one fell swoop.
» Munch on This
Although it takes a while for Jennifer Maisel’s “birds” to really stretch its wings, with a little bit of patience and a game attitude her story eventually takes flight. A beautifully dark fairy tale that explores the everyday, seemingly inconsequential choices we make and how the burden of past spells affect our lives, Maisel’s subtle message encourages women to take control of their own destiny and pursue the life they deserve.
‘birds’
Through July 29
» Venue: The Sanctuary Theatre, Casa Del Pueblo Methodist Church, 1459 Columbia Road NW, Washington
» Tickets: $12 to $20
» Performances: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 3 p.m. July 21 and July 29
» Info: 800-494-8497
www.rorschachtheatre.com
