At Theatre at Normandale, we believe that deeper truths can be revealed when we don’t make assumptions or take art at face value. We are deeply committed to helping our students understand this as well. With this in mind, we felt it necessary to briefly address one of the titles in our 26-27 season.

Stupid F---ing Bird, by Aaron Posner, is one of the most exciting, interesting, culturally relevant, and important plays written in the last 15 years. The title may seem, at first glance, inflammatory – but we believe it is much more than that. Posner’s play reflects on one of the most important plays and playwrights of the theatrical canon – The Seagull by Anton Chekov.

The Seagull remains relevant today for its foundational impact on a shift from the theatre of melodrama to realism. Its themes, symbols, subtext, and structure were all revolutionary and quite cutting edge when the play was written and first performed in the late 19th century. And now, Posner brings us a vivid and wonderful reimagining of the characters and themes from the original as told through a 21st century lens.

This modernization reminds us that language changes, that the way people express their feelings changes, and that theatre must continue to hold a mirror up to the society wherein we see ourselves.

We hope that you give this play a chance – even if you find the title a bit off-putting, and the way in which the characters speak a bit harsh – and hope that in doing so, you will walk away with some new and/or deeper insights into what makes us all the fragile, vulnerable, yet strong and capable beings that we are.