Remember Chekhov’s “The Seagull?”
Of course you do; it’s a brilliant play.
You might want to keep it in mind when you see Winding Road Theatre Ensemble’s “Stupid F#!*ing Bird,” Aaron Posner’s loose adaptation of Chekhov’s classic.
Or not. This is a comedy that works either way.
Posner takes the story about theater, love and misery, sets it in modern times and infuses the slice-of-life piece with a swath of satire. He also takes liberties, dispensing with some characters, combining others.
But the framework is very similar:
Con (Treplev in Chekhov’s version) is a playwright who is struggling with writer’s block. He is at his mother’s vacation home and is planning a performance of his work. The woman he loves, Nina (no name change here), is a bit of a space cadet and will play the lead. Her dream is to be a star.
In reluctant attendance is Con’s mother, Emma (Irina Arkadina in Chekhov’s play), a famous actress and a not-very-nice person. She brings along her lover, Trig (Trigorin in the original), who is what Con wants to be — a successful writer.
Also gathered at the house is Mash (Masha), a musician in love with Con but too afraid to tell him; Dev (based on Chekhov’s character Semyon Medvedenko), Con’s best friend and helplessly in love with Mash; and Sorn (based on Sorin), an old friend of Con and Emma’s.
Nina sees a pathway to stardom through Trig and attaches herself to him. Con is devastated. Heartache and tragedy follow.
Posner, like Chekhov, tackles the role of art in our lives. The piece also looks at love and all the guises it can take.
This 2013 play has found fans around the country. The LA Weekly calls it “The most authentic, self-aware, playful, pathos-filled, unassuming and world-wise adaptation of Chekhov I’ve seen since Louis Malle’s 1992 film, ‘Vanya on 42nd Street.’” And this from DC Metro: “It’s Posner’s combination of extreme silliness and searing insight that makes ‘Stupid F#!*ing Bird’ so engrossing. You may not like all of these self-absorbed characters (and some of them come off as much more unlikable here than in the original), but you’ll never be bored by them.”
