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| Arye Gross and Jacqueline Misaye - Photos by Jenny Graham |
By Joe Straw
Life moves on
this migratory lot
abundant
fall colors
winging forward
rustic flavors
and
seared images
capturing the
bitterest contradictions
forever
and
now
What were the talks?
Pieces
of colored information
just pieces
waiting for the wings
of knowledge
to take flight
or not
coaxing intonations
until
the end of the line
and all there
is now is
raking
up
the
pieces
with a
satisfied
heart.
Migratory birds in flyway pass by John’s yard in Baltimore County, Maryland in the year of someone’s lord - the mid 2000s to the mid 2010s. And from his backyard with a pair of binoculars John (Arye Gross) happily takes field notes while birding and regards his notebook to his daughter Caitlyn (Jacqueline Misaye) as his life’s list, guaranteed to last forever and to never smudge.
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble presents the Los Angeles premiere of Birds of North America written by Anna Ouyang Moench, directed by Peter Richards, and produced by Beth Hogan through November 19, 2023.
John is a busy man, a doctor working on manufacturing pharmaceuticals, but a man who nevertheless unwinds and spends a few precious moments with his daughter.
Caitlyn, with a clement disposition, appears to enjoy her time with her dad but is not so invested in birding, taking notes, or calling a bird by its rightful name, and not announcing the perching place on its specific location so that her father may take delight in discovery.
Although John is slightly annoyed, it is perhaps the moment where he can impart the wisdom of the ages to his daughter should she desire to accept it. But how does he let the information go knowing now that she has matured enough and is somewhat willing to accept that information? It must be with sincerity and without too much fanfare and noise. Much like the barn owl who stealthy approaches a kill announced only after it has pounced on its prey.
Caitlyn has other things on her mind like her motorcycling boyfriend Blaze who wants to go into the army and off to Iraq. John doesn’t agree with her choice of man, he thinks of a better class of man marrying his daughter.
They’ve lived a comfortable life. John is working on a prescription drug and has been for twenty-five years. It is in phase III of the clinical trials and once that is approved will guarantee the family an income for the rest of their lives.
Caitlyn is a copy editor hoping to finish a book she has partially written although her heart is not into it.
When they walk into the house and return to the backyard a year has passed. Today, Blaze is a forgotten memory and Caitlyn has another and now seeks $2,000 for her wedding photos. John says to get a family member to take the photographs, but he grudgingly says if she needs it, he will pay for the photos.
Is saving their relationship something that will take time or is it too late?
Anna Ouyang Moench has written a beautiful play filled with the colors of life. There is a picturesque sincerity to it all, a father and daughter relationship that test the boundaries of human migratory movement highlighted by the influx of colors and the outside awakenings of a calling North American bird. There is discomforting intimacy between these two, hardly physically together in their backyard for two seconds, moments broken up by the incursion of a feathered being rustling through the trees and perching on a limb near their backyard.
Peter Richards, the director, has done a fantastic job despite some technical problems on this night with sound and music. There are additional layers that could be added to the performances and that will come in time with additional performances. There may also be another connection one that may be how the birding connects to the relationship of the father to daughter. Still, it is a quiet night with subtle emotional outpourings and blended noises that disarms the soul and lifts the production to unimaginable heights.
Ayre Gross as John never lets up as the dad. He moves in a way that lets his daughter have free reign, making her decide her own choices with little objections to the paths she may be undertaking. Similarly, to the way birds treat their fledglings. With his education and life’s experiences, he is the adult in the backyard, calm, effective, and guiding in ways that are not overbearing. Gross’ physical life and subtle emotional outbursts makes this a master performance and one that should not be missed.
L- R Arye Gross (background) and Jacqueline Misaye
Jacqueline Misaye plays Caitlyn a woman who appears to have her father’s temperament and her reactions are very subtle. Caitlyn places herself in an invidious position with news of her life, her boyfriends, and her medical issues. It is easy to suggest what her father might want, mostly trips to places where he can observe birds, but is it not clear what she wants from him. One might suggest that it is love mostly but she can’t quite figure out how to do that. If there is one thing missing it might be that. He never really comes out and expresses his love, physically or emotionally and that is what she must get. The book at the end may be the key but the emotional expression is something we may need to see. Still, it is a terrific performance.
Mark Guirguis, Set Designer, has created a beautiful set. Wind may be something that elevates the set to another height. Still, it is a gorgeous set for the actors to live and breathe.
Constandia J. Daros, Sound Designer, has brought in some wonderful sounds to fill the backyard with native birds of the Baltimore area. The sound has birds moving from one side of the backyard to the other and it is wonderful to hear.
Lena Sands is the Costume Designer, and she places them in costume and in the times. The work is excellent and changes each year in a ten-year period that passes by when the characters come back every year to watch the birds in their migratory flight.
Other members of the crew are as follows:
Scott Bolman – Lighting Designer
Jenine MacDonald – Prop Designer
Beth Mack – Stage Manager
Run! Run! Run!
Reservations: 310-477-2055 or go the www.OdysseyTheatre.com
Parking is free!