Take flight with “The Conference of the Birds”
An allegorical quest for truth at Key City
Playhouse
In flight formation, the avian attendees of “The Conference of the Birds” prepare to make an epic journey to seek the king of the birds. From left to right are Mickey McKinney as the owl, Alia Stevens as the nightingale, Rosaletta Curry as the parrot, DD Wigley as the hoopoe, Rebecca May as the peacock, and Kenneth W. Reid as the duck.
The dreamlike allegorical play, based on a 12th-century Persian poem, runs April 18-May 10 at Key City Playhouse in Port Townsend.
Port Townsend, Wash.—Is it a treatise on esoteric mysticism or is it a 1,000-year-old variation on “The Wizard of Oz”?
Yes and yes. “The Conference of the Birds,” based on a 12th-century Persian poem about the universal human quest for truth, is both.
And in the hands of Director Marc Weinblatt (former Co-Artistic Director of the Seattle Public Theatre, now founder and director of the Port Townsend-based Mandala Center for Change) be assured that Key City Public Theatre’s re-imagined musical version of the 1982 play by Jean-Claude Carriere and Peter Brook is no ordinary evening at the theater.
Opening Friday, April 18, at Key City Playhouse, “The Conference of the Birds” is the second mainstage production of Key City Public Theatre’s 50th anniversary season and is generously sponsored by Belltower Art.
The dreamlike play, combining both prose and the elegant translated verse of Sufi poet Farid Ud-Din Attar, is an unusual and powerful allegory in which all the birds of the world come together in an attempt to find a solution to their world’s problems. A proud falcon (Heather Poulson), a timid sparrow (Sam Cavallaro), a self-absorbed peacock (Rebecca May), and many others are guided by their leader, the hoopoe (DD Wigley), on a mystical journey to seek the king of all the birds, whom they hope will show them the way.
The flock also includes a heron (Aimee Kelley Spencer), a duck (Kenneth W. Reid), a nightingale (Alia Stevens), an owl (Mickey McKinney), a dove (Rowen Matkins), a parrot (shared role, Rosaletta Curry and Maureen Freehill), and the multi-talented Lawrason Driscoll playing 12 more, from a rooster to a flamingo.
The imaginative bird costumes created by costume designer Erin McNamara (haute trash diva for “SO FAR: The Children of the Elvi”) consist of gorgeous shawls and headpieces that will be auctioned off after the production as a fundraiser for Key City Public Theatre.
Composer and musician Laurence Cole (founder and director of PT Songlines, a non-traditional community choir) has collaborated with the artistic staff to create seven choral pieces with lyrics from the poem. Cole is also the onstage musician, playing a variety of drums, flutes, a harp, and a tambura (East Indian drone instrument) to 30 musical cues.
“We’re essentially doing a new musical,” says Director Weinblatt. “The play has never been done this way before.”
Movement direction comes from Maureen Freehill, a dancer and drama instructor who holds an MFA in Directing Asian Performance, and staging elements such as the Zikr and whirling dervish Turning were informed by Deborah Sweet Shomer, a consultant on Sufi practice and attunement. Weinblatt notes that he’s “pulling from a number of different traditions to create a unique and timeless world that retains the flavor of its Middle Eastern roots.”
“The Conference of the Birds” is performed without an intermission and is 1:45 in length. Along with Shakespeare in the Park, it is one of the two family-friendly productions in this year’s KCPT season. “With its fascinating visual theatrics, it is a sophisticated offering for kids aged eight and up who are accustomed to live theater performances,” says Artistic Director Denise Winter.
Up to 11 limber audience members each performance have the opportunity to sit on cushions on the stage and be intimate with the action, although this is not the interactive theatre that that we’ve come to expect from Director Weinblatt in his work with the Poetic Justice Theatre Ensemble.
“The challenge for the ‘Birds’ audience members is to be out of your frame of reference, to listen with your heart and, in fact, not get too intellectual,” says Weinblatt. “It is okay to see this play and not ‘get’ it all. There is so much going on and at so many levels, it is likely some people will want to see it again. I hope they will!”
Informal “AfterWords” discussions with members of the cast and artistic staff follow all Thursday and Sunday performances.
Key City Playhouse is located at 419 Washington St., Port Townsend. Performances run April 18-May 10, Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. General admission is $15; $10 for students.
For the pay-what-you-wish performance on Thurs., April 24, advance tickets are available at full price and donations are accepted at the door for the remaining seats on a first-come, first-serve basis. This evening is sponsored by the Port Townsend Arts Commission to encourage accessibility to quality live theatre for and by the community.
All advance ticket sales are handled by Quimper Sound Music and Media, 230 Taylor St., Port Townsend; 360-385-2454. FLEXpass vouchers and gift passes may be exchanged for tickets at Quimper Sound.
New in 2008 are two special events associated with all mainstage shows. A “Second Saturday” pre-show wine and cheese reception in the new lobby with the director and artistic director is held at 6:30 p.m. April 26 (cost: $20; attendance is limited). And a Sunday morning “Brunch on the Set” offers an opportunity to dine with members of the flock—er, cast. Brunch is served at 11 a.m. May 11, at the playhouse the day after the final performance (cost: $50; attendance is limited). For special event reservations or information about group sales and subscription packages, call KCPT’s administrative office at 360-379-0195.
For more about the show or schedule, see the website show page, or call the KCPT show info line at 360-385-7396.
Costume auction and champagne brunch follow “Birds”
Purchase Key City Public Theatre bird costumes, eat Persian food on the set
Port Townsend, Wash.—This is your chance to secure a fabulous bird costume for the next Kinetic Koronation Kostume Ball, or, if you prefer, dine in a theatrical desert on gourmet Persian dishes served by members of the flock—er, cast—of “The Conference of the Birds,” a play based on a 12th-century Persian poem.
Two
new fundraising events for Key City Public Theatre are sure to
delight fashion queens and gourmands alike. One, a silent
auction of the bird costumes seen in the current mainstage show,
“The Conference of the Birds,” is ongoing now through closing
night, May 10. The other, a champagne brunch on the set, is
served the morning after the production closes, on Sunday, May
11.
Be the feathered star of the Halloween parade or the Kinetic Skulpture Festival with a peacock, falcon or rooster costume! Most of the 22 imaginative bird costumes created by “Birds” costume designer Erin McNamara (the haute trash diva for last season’s “SO FAR: The Children of the Elvi”) are for sale in a silent auction. The gorgeous handmade shawls and headpieces are sold separately, so purchase one or both together. Many are suitable for creative evening wear.
There is no auction fee or registration for the silent auction; simply “shop” in the lobby before or after the show. The final bidding and the announcement of the winners will take place at a closing-night soiree at Key City Playhouse on Saturday, May 10, starting at 9:45 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
At 11 a.m. the next morning—Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11—local celebrity chef Eligius Wolodkewitsch hosts the champagne brunch on the set. Titled “1001 Delights,” the event serves up a menu of Persian dishes, live music by “Birds” composer/musician Laurence Cole, and a belly dance performance by Stormy.
Dine deliciously with actors from the show on traditional omelettes, handmade dolmas, marinated black olives in spicy tomato sauce, hummus, tabouleh, cucumber salad, goat yogurt and cheese, and everyone’s favorite flatbread, naan. Wolodkewitsch has consulted a dozen Middle Eastern cookbooks in selecting the menu of delights.
Cost for the brunch is $50 and attendance is limited. For reservations, call KCPT’s administrative office at 360-379-0195.
“The Conference of the Birds” is the second mainstage production of Key City Public Theatre’s 50th anniversary season and is generously sponsored by Belltower Art. Tickets for the final two weekends of this dreamlike allegory are selling fast, so get yours now. All advance ticket sales are handled by Quimper Sound Music and Media, 230 Taylor St., Port Townsend; 360-385-2454.
Key City Playhouse is located at 419 Washington St. , Port Townsend. Performances run through May 10, Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. General admission is $15; $10 for students.
For more about the show or special events, call the KCPT show info line at 360-385-7396.
Saturday matinee added for popular “Birds” play
Additional show is May 10, 2:30 p.m. at Key City Playhouse
Final costume bidding Saturday night; Champagne Brunch on the Set Sunday morning
Port Townsend, Wash.—Due to popular demand, a Saturday matinee showing of Key City Public Theatre’s “The Conference of the Birds” has been added this weekend.
If you liked The Wizard of Oz, you’ll be enchanted by this family-friendly story of the universal human quest for truth. Children 8 years and up with the attention span to sit through a 1:45 show (no intermission) will love the birds that people this dreamlike play by Jean-Claude Carriere and Peter Brook and directed by Marc Weinblatt.
The additional show is at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, at Key City Playhouse. There is also an 8 p.m. performance that evening that closes the four-week run. Get your tickets in advance, as walk-up tickets for the intimate 66-seat theatre may not be available on the day of show.
Critic Jerry Kraft, reviewing “Birds” for SeattleActor.com, wrote, “Key City Public Theatre is outside the urban Seattle theatre scene, but the quality of this work stands up to any of the smaller theatres (and many productions at the majors) in the City.”
All are welcome to attend the closing night soiree starting at 9:45 p.m. at the playhouse Saturday, May 10, and put in a final bid for one or more of the 22 imaginative bird costumes featured in the play. The gorgeous shawls and headpieces have been part of a silent auction during the “Birds” run, and can make you the feathered star of the next Halloween parade or Kinetic Skulpture Festival!
The morning after the show closes, dine with members of the cast at the Sunday “Champagne Brunch on the Set.” A menu of “1001 Persian Delights” is served at 11 a.m. on May 11 at the playhouse, and the entertainment includes live music and a belly-dancing performance. Cost is $50 and attendance is limited; for brunch reservations, call KCPT’s administrative office at 360-379-0195.
Key City Playhouse is located at 419 Washington St., Port Townsend. General admission is $15; $10 for students. All advance ticket sales are handled by Quimper Sound Music and Media, 230 Taylor St., Port Townsend; 360-385-2454.
“The Conference of the Birds” is generously sponsored by Belltower Art. For more about the show or schedule, call the KCPT show info line at 360-385-7396.
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