Examining a production of "The Birds" at Artswest playhouse & Gallery

I interviewed the stage manager at Artswest Playhouse & Gallery about their previous production of Aristophanes' The Birds. Here's what he had to say about it.

Stage Manager, Ryan Floresca:

"The birds was performed on a thrust, with a square grid tile floor. It was painted with a feather duster to make it marbled while keeping the feathered look. It had two platforms in the audience and the costumes were black based with wings made by the performers. The two leads (Euelpides and Pithetaerus) were in rodeo clown/comedia del arte style and the wings were added halfway through act one. The idea the director used for the chorus sections was to create songs using the chorus as the lyrics."

Cast of The Birds

Nat Zang as the king of the birds & Tyler Webster as Euelpides

Melissa Carter as Pithetaerus & Andi Donnelly as Neptune



As seen with the previous productions, Aristophanes play is incredibly versitile in it's arrangement. The director here chose to use youth actors and to portray the show as a farce.