'The Birds' Flocks to Chaffey College Theatre April 9
On the surface, a play set in ancient Greece starring a flamingo, peacock and an owl might sound a little cuckoo.
But to Chaffey College Professor of Theatre Christa Havenhill, it’s a play that is just right for the times. “The Birds” by Aristophanes is a 5th century Greek comedy involving two Athenian men who attempt to establish a utopian city in the clouds. It hits the Chaffey College Theatre stage April 9-12.
“I think the community is going to enjoy seeing our actors portray birds, the colorful costumes and the satire of it,” Havenhill said. “If you’re a Greek history buff, I think you’ll find a lot of humor in the script.”
The play centers on the characters Pisthetairos and Euelpides, who are fed up with living in Athens and hatch a plan to build a great city in the sky called Cloud Cuckoo Land — with birds as its citizens. It all seems to go well until power and corruption threaten to undermine their plans.
Corey DeJesus, who plays Pisthetairos, said the audience will relate to the desire to create a better world, as well as the consequences of too much ambition. DeJesus is a radiologic technology major who is minoring in theatre arts. His character’s struggle between idealism and power is part of what makes the role enjoyable, DeJesus said.
“Playing him has challenged me to explore both his ambition and his complexity, which has been incredibly rewarding as a performer,” he said.
Fifteen birds, several Greek gods and other characters make up the cast, with 34 student actors and technicians. Costume designers are creating bird costumes for each student — including some breeds which did not appear in the original play.
Aristophanes’ play, like all Greek plays, contains designated sections for choral singing, chanting and dance, but only lyrics are provided. Chaffey College students put on their thinking caps and developed original melodies and musical underscoring for the “Bird Chorus,” which Havenhill jokes was “created on the fly.”
Shows will be at 7 p.m. April 9-11 and 2 p.m. April 12. Tickets are available on Chaffey’s box office page.
