Displaying items by tag: Anna Ouyang Moench
BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA - Do we listen to each other as much as birdsongs?
Birds of North America, written by Anna Ouyang Moench, is a story of a father daughter relationship spanning a decade and weathering personal and worldwide conflicts while sharing their love of birdwatching. Admittedly family relationships can be tricky at best. Especially as children age into adulthood and make their own life choices and important decisions. It is difficult for a parent to see them in a new light or role and the default of overly attempting to manage and advise them is not the best fit.
In this scenario we find ourselves in a backyard of Baltimore, Maryland in a beautifully imagined set design by Morgan Laszlo. We watch the relationship of John, the father (John Judd) and Caitlyn (Cassidy Slaughter Mason) ebb and flow throughout autumnal days and evenings on a backyard deck. We can see that John is in the autumn of his years and struggling with an internal conflict if his life’s work has mattered, is significant or made a difference in the world. Like many men of his generation, he prefers to keep the conflict internal. And, Caitlyn wants to discuss deeper and more adult topics with her Dad…as long as they are not about her or his opinion of her. Caitlyn goes through it, as they say, in the ten years of autumns of this piece. Young love, marriage and many things that follow. Ups, downs, disappointments, career crisis, what does it all mean?
In the meantime, she and her Dad continue to communicate through spotting birds, hearing them, listening to their calls and determining what is a significant sighting. All events we can march through relationships with. There are scenes when they are hearing each other but not really listening as intently as they do for the elusive birds. Does that mean they care about the birds more than each other? Or is it easier to tiptoe around landmines of emotion. Our two actors, Judd and Mason forge a believable poignant relationship on stage. The pain each of them go through is palpable but not overt. The most beautiful sort of acting that draws in an audience, especially in an intimate space that Red Orchid Theatre has to offer.
The sound design by Ethan Korvne also helps to set the scene and enhance the birding aspect of the show. If you close your eyes for a second and listen to the bird calls it almost seems as if a fall breeze might pass by. The pacing of the show and transitions are smooth and make the decade pass by in a credible page-turning manner giving you just enough time for thoughts of where they are headed next. It’s easy to see how this garnered seven Jeff Award nominations.
Whether or not you are a birding enthusiast (and my show companion is and loved it!) this is a piece about families, relationships, communication and remembering to listen without distraction, a tool we can all use in our lives.
BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA, now playing at A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago through October 4, 2026.
https://www.aredorchidtheatre.org for ticket and performance time information.
Mary Beth Euker is a founding director of Cricket Theatre Company in Lake Zurich, Illinois, has appeared in shows at Devonshire Theatre in Skokie and Woodstock Opera House and directs in Lake Zurich at various schools and for Cricket.
Kokandy Productions Concludes 2026 Season with A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: A PLAY WITH MUSIC November 5, 2026 – January 10, 2027 - Full Casting Announced!
15 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreKokandy Productions is pleased to conclude its 2026 Season with A Clockwork Orange: A Play with Music, a live adaptation of Anthony Burgess's dystopian…
Identity Performing Arts Celebrates 5 Years with Gala Performance at MCA's Edlis Neeson Theater October 18th
14 September 2026 in Upcoming DanceIdentity Performing Arts celebrates five years as a dance company embracing artistic innovation, collaboration and community at their Fifth Anniversary Gala at MCA…
BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA - Do we listen to each other as much as birdsongs?
14 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewBirds of North America, written by Anna Ouyang Moench, is a story of a father daughter relationship spanning a decade…
Gwydion Theatre Delivers More than a Satire in Lynn Nottage’s Por’ Knockers
13 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewLynn Nottage is a skilled playwright, and prolific especially considering the high quality of her works: Pulitzer winners Ruined and…
The Dancing Delivers What the Dialogue Doesn’t in Dirty Dancing: The Musical
12 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewIn a world of theatrical adaptations, there really are two kinds: some reinvent their source material, becoming their own “new”…
Divergent Viewpoints Distract: The Birth of the Pill at Timeline Theatre
11 September 2026 in TheatreThere are always two sides to every story. The writer or playwright will tell a story offering key details and…
Go Behind The SCREAM: A Live Conversation with David Arquette following a 30th Anniversary screening of SCREAM, one-night-only at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m.
10 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBe part of a night filled with suspense, stories, and special moments this Halloween season when David Arquette goes Behind the…
GDC Premieres New Work by Al Blackstone in "untamed passion" at the North Shore Center November 6th and 7th
10 September 2026 in Upcoming DanceGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC), America's original jazz dance company, returns to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501…
Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to Chicago for first time in 10 years at The Auditorium October 17th
10 September 2026 in Upcoming DanceThe Auditorium (Chicago's landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) begins its 2026-27 Dance Season titled North American Dance…
The Gift Theatre announces casting for Netta Walker's Hayward
09 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe Gift Theatre, led by Artistic Directors Brittany Burch and Jennifer Glasse, continues its 25th Anniversary Season with the world premiere…
Steep Opens New Home with Simon Stephens' U.S. Premiere A Slow Fire
09 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreSteep Theatre will open its new theater this coming January with the U.S. Premiere of playwright Simon Stephens' A Slow…
Go behind the scenes of House of the Exquisite Corpse, Chicago’s only puppet haunted house, with new All-Inclusive Experience, October 8-25 at Steppenwolf’s The Merle
09 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreWant to go behind-the-scenes of Chicago’s one and only puppet haunted house? Rough House Puppet Arts’ House of the Exquisite Corpse returns October…
2027 Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards School Applications Now Available
09 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzBroadway In Chicago is delighted to invite high schools across the State of Illinois to participate in the 16th Annual Illinois High…
Full Casting Announced for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's ADIRONDACK CHAIR CIRCLE – October 22 – December 6, 2026 – World Premiere!
08 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreSteppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to announce full casting for its world premiere of…
Porchlight Announces "Little Shop of Horrors" Cast & Creative Team
08 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the cast and creative team of the first mainstage production of…
Chicago Premiere of Tin Drum Theatre's A DARK WOOD to be performed at Greenhouse Theater Center, Oct 15 - Nov 1
08 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreTin Drum Theatre Company is proud to announce that tickets are now on sale for the Chicago premiere of A Dark Wood, October…
Embrace The Change: Menopause the Musical® 25th Anniversary Tour to play Aurora’s Paramount Theatre Saturday, October 17 at 3 p.m.
08 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe hilarious musical parody Menopause the Musical® is on a 25th Anniversary National Tour this fall, and Aurora’s Paramount Theatre is the…
Paramount’s Mean Girls Delivers a Fierce, Fetch Night Out
07 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewThis new staging of Mean Girls the Musical, now playing at Paramount Theatre in Aurora’s downtown theatre district, brings Tina…
The Man Who Fell - Trap Door Theatre - Through September 19th
07 September 2026 in Now PlayingTrap Door Theatre is thrilled to begin its 33rd season with the World Premiere of The Man Who Fell with…
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Dark Children’s Tale Translates to Stellar Show in ’The Man Who Fell with the Rain’
06 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewAn exceptionally good show is now on stage at Chicago’s Trap Door Theatre. This wonder—The Man Who Fell with the…
'The Snow Queen' presented by The Impostors Theatre Co. November 6th through November 21st
04 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAfter their award winning year, The Impostors Theatre Company (ITC) opens Season Eight with the highly anticipated world-premiere of The…
City Lit announces August Wilson's KING HEDLEY II October 16 through November 29 - here the cast
04 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFull cast and production team have been announced for City Lit's production of August Wilson's KING HEDLEY II, to play…
Standing Room Only Crowd for Chicago’s Leading Theater Artistic Directors
04 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzIt must have been heavenly for the creative leaders of Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare and Court, Chicago’s top regional theaters,…
Joffrey Ballet announces planned leadership transition: President and CEO Greg Cameron to depart in December 2027
04 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzThe Joffrey Ballet today announced that President and CEO Greg Cameron will depart in December 2027, concluding a 15-year tenure that transformed the…
The Best of Us: Marriott Theatre’s Come From Away
03 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewCome From Away begins from a place of deep uncertainty, yet what emerges is a story grounded in the steady,…
Steppenwolf Theatre Presents Revival of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG September 17 – November 1 / Rehearsals Underway
02 September 2026 in Upcoming TheatreSteppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to launch its 51st Season with Suzan-Lori Parks' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Topdog/Underdog, helmed by Tony Award-winning…
Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project Gala: Radiant & Sumptuous at the Harris
01 September 2026 in Dance in ReviewThe first thing you notice about the meticulously curated Black dance performance held at the Harris Theater over the weekend…
Vape! The Grease Parody Is High-Energy Fluff
01 September 2026 in Theatre in ReviewVape! The Grease Parody, currently running at Chicago’s Apollo Theater through January, takes a satirical swing at the iconic 1978…
BrightSide Theatre Announces "Monte Carlo Night" 15th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser on September 25
01 September 2026 in Theatre BuzzBrightSide Theatre will celebrate its 15th anniversary with "Monte Carlo Night," a gala and fundraiser, on Friday, September 25, 2026,…
GDC Hosts 19th Anniversary “Dancing With The Giordano Stars” Ballroom Dance Competition October 8th
01 September 2026 in Upcoming DanceGiordano Dance Chicago (GDC) hosts its highly anticipated 19th Anniversary "Dancing With The Giordano Stars" ballroom dance competition 7-11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8…
Latest Articles
-
Kokandy Productions Concludes 2026 Season with A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: A PLAY WITH MUSIC November 5, 2026 – January 10, 2027 - Full Casting Announced!
Written by Buzz Center StageKokandy Productions is pleased to conclude its 2026 Season with A Clockwork Orange: A Play with Music, a live adaptation of Anthony Burgess's dystopian novel that brings the cult-classic "horrorshow" to visceral, pulsing, terrifying life. Directed by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham, with music… -
Identity Performing Arts Celebrates 5 Years with Gala Performance at MCA's Edlis Neeson Theater October 18th
Written by Buzz Center StageIdentity Performing Arts celebrates five years as a dance company embracing artistic innovation, collaboration and community at their Fifth Anniversary Gala at MCA Chicago's Edlis Neeson Theater, 220 E. Chicago Ave., 3-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. The event will begin with a performance…
-
Go Behind The SCREAM: A Live Conversation with David Arquette following a 30th Anniversary screening of SCREAM, one-night-only at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre, Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m.
Written by Buzz Center StageBe part of a night filled with suspense, stories, and special moments this Halloween season when David Arquette goes Behind the SCREAM, a thrilling live conversation including a special 30th anniversary screening of the iconic horror film SCREAM. Legendary actor David Arquette,…
-
BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA - Do we listen to each other as much as birdsongs?
Written by Mary Beth EukerBirds of North America, written by Anna Ouyang Moench, is a story of a father daughter relationship spanning a decade and weathering personal and worldwide conflicts while sharing their love of birdwatching. Admittedly family relationships can be tricky at best. …
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.