“Tongue
of a Bird” Emotional, Intense
A black box production allows a company to experiment with the form and
substance of a theatrical work, and this setting is ideal for New Rep’s
wonderful “Tongue of a Bird.” The
theatrical action happens on what ends up looking (appropriately) like a narrow
airstrip of a stage, with half of the audience on either side. The script (by Ellen McLaughlin), which is largely
the musings of the protagonist (Maxine, expertly portrayed by Elizabeth Anne
Rimar), heightens the feeling of being inside her search-and-rescue plane, and
sometimes inside her head, along with the lost girl she seeks and her own
long-deceased mother.
The result is an extremely intimate and powerful production. It is a good thing the actors are so
compelling, because the closeness verges on claustrophobia, but is constantly
rescued by the breathtaking performances.
In particular, New Rep favorite Bobbie Steinbach shines as Maxine’s
extremely pragmatic grandmother, Zofia, who is solid as the earth in the face
of her flight-bound progeny. The missing
child, Charlotte (portrayed with zest by Claudina Nolan), is spirited and
sassy, and her youthful exuberance makes a painful contrast with the painful
adult world of the other characters. The
two mothers (Charlotte’s desperate searching mom, Dessa, and pilot Maxine’s own
mother’s ghost, Evie) are a study in contrasts.
Dessa (Ilyse Robbins) is mournful and emotionally laden – heavy, full of
pain. Evie (Olivia D’Ambrosio), on the
other hand, is bright-eyed, fun-loving, and so manic that she clearly lived
several feet off the ground all the time, finally snapping the cord that
tethered her to this world.
At the center of it all, Maxine struggles to make sense of it all, to
pull together the heavy pain and the love of flying, and does her best – which is
all we can ever do. The play is raw,
touching, and deeply human. It is well
worth seeing.
~ Shauna Shames, New Rep Reviewer
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