Hope in the face of never ending war, bigotry, and ignorance is the quill that stuck with me after “Empire of Feathers” from Giant Bird. Experimental theatre gives each audience member the chance to take away something unique. I took away many wonderful things: fun musical whimsy, quaintly charming props robbed from a child’s play room, and great physical humor.
Hope in the face of never ending war, bigotry, and ignorance is the quill that stuck with me after “Empire of Feathers” from Giant Bird. Experimental theatre gives each audience member the chance to take away something unique. I took away many wonderful things: fun musical whimsy, quaintly charming props robbed from a child’s play room, and great physical humor.
In a journey to the Land of Mond we meet Ball Manhattan (Ryan Underbakke) who enlists the help of Lucey Fair (Seiriol Davies) and Rifle Lancaster (Karim Muasher) to help find the Red Sylvester. Through clever use of a slide projector, self-lit staging, and a wicked child’s tape recorder, that journey is fun, fast paced and fantastical. It has a storybook sense, but an adult point of view. It is brings to mind a fable of old lore, but the subject is modern and pulled from today’s world without regret.
The stand out performance goes to Seiriol Davies who encompasses the show with his dainty character. His Tim Curry voice set the tone of the production, which invokes a European sense, if not outright style. Each of the three actors complemented each other both vocally and physically. The simple staging fit right into the unfinished space, complete with plenty of construction dust.
Aesop wrote “It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds.” The great storyteller was right, it takes three fine actors to make Feathers a smashing success.