Stupid Fu**ing Bird NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (65)
See it if you're thrilled by the idea of a brave adaptation that gives great insights to a classic. Stunning production and concept. I saw it twice.
Don't see it if you want your Chekhov served up in a traditional fashion.
See it if An fantastic and surprising retelling of Chekov's The Seagull. Wonderfully acted by all. Clever set design.
Don't see it if You don't like long shows. You want to see a traditional play. This is NOT The Seagull although it is based on it.
See it if you have good taste and want to see a play with great acting, compelling storytelling, and leave the theatre pondering some of the issues.
Don't see it if you are dismissive of modernizations of classic plays, are offended by foul language and gun violence, don't like direct address to audience
See it if You want a fresh take on Chekov's Seagull that plumbs the humor that is rarely seen in its stagings. Well cast and acted, a current Chekov.
Don't see it if You think Chekov is Serious Theatre, or a classic that shouldn't be tampered with or deconstructed to reveal its truth and relevance.
See it if You like a devastating and hilarious examination of what it's like to be alive. A brilliant adaptation of THE SEAGULL.
Don't see it if You don't enjoy theater that is provocative and somewhat experimental.
See it if You are tired of seeing dreary Chekov plays performed as they were written. Watch great actors perform a very creative play. Best of Pearl
Don't see it if You are offended by nudity and sexual scenes You only want to see the classics performed as they were written. You have no imagination.
See it if So funny, time flew. Could not believe I had been there for 2 1/2 hours . Wanted it to go on. Fabulous cast. Respond when 4th wall broken.
Don't see it if Can't imagine why you wouldn't want to see it.
See it if you want a smart & in-your-face update on a classic replete with charming musical interludes, sly cultural critiques & stirring performances
Don't see it if you don't care for meta, f-bombs, angsty protagonists, shouting, philandering, gun violence, or edgy narrative devices... but see it anyway.
Critic Reviews (16)
"A raw, theatrically audacious version of this Chekhov classic presented in a viscerally well-acted production…Exploding the wistful, melancholy atmosphere that pervades so many Chekhov productions, Mr. Posner’s version reminds us that Chekhov was a relentless truth teller...Mr. Posner’s play is at its most trenchant and funny when it doesn’t just collapse the distance between Chekhov and today, but also encourages us to forget Chekhov entirely."
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"I was—rather to my surprise—impressed...Most of 'Stupid Fu**ing Bird' is at once bluntly funny and unnervingly bleak...Davis McCallum has given 'Stupid Fu**ing Bird' a lively staging that underlines the comedy without undercutting the emotion, and everyone in the cast is adept at balancing laughter and anguish...Posner’s play is derivative by definition, but it’s more than just a commentary on Chekhov, and McCallum’s production lifts it far above the common run."
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"A playwright who honors a classic by way of turning it upside down...Without any evident strain, Posner finds a modern expression for a great many of Chekhov's devices and ideas...Under Davis McCallum's direction, the flow of events, from farce to heartbreak to resignation and back again, is entirely natural, with two or more tones taking up residence on stage at the same moment...Another example of how a playwright takes borrowed materials and deftly makes them his own."
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"Aaron Posner’s brilliant, Americanized, updated and deconstructed 'sort of' adaptation of Chekhov’s 'The Seagull'...restores the punch that this play must have had for its original audience as well as making it entirely and successfully contemporary...Davis McCallum has interpreted the new text with some debatable choices. However, this does not keep the play from being a brilliant example of meta-theater."
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"A devilishly amusing riff…The Pearl is fortunate to have director Davis McCallum on board to help the actors make this radically new and original adaptation work as smartly and enjoyably as it does...Those familiar with 'The Seagull' are more likely to fully appreciate the way this adaptation has captured so much, and yet comes off as a completely original and hilarious entertainment."
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"Tremendous work by a skilled acting ensemble, smart designers, and the keen, firm grip of director Davis McCallum; 'Stupid Fucking Bird' is good fun...Posner has taken all the complex characters, the brilliant monologues, the rich symbolism, and raised the bar for contemporary America. It’s angry, honest, smart, sensitive, and deeply moving...McCallum never lets go of what could be a confusing mess, comfortably finding an important tone in this ensemble of gifted makers."
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"Conrad, dazzlingly portrayed by Christopher Sears, emits enough electricity to light up all of Manhattan…Bianca Amato lights up the sky as Emma Arkadina, the famous actress...'Stupid Fu**ing Bird' has been skillfully and effectively directed by Davis McCallum, who’s brought all the innovation of the concept to fruition…The one weakness of this presentation is Trigorin who comes off as a cypher...This is a stunning production."
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"Director Davis McCallum wrangles all of the manic elements of an over-the-top script with the skill of Ben Hur at his chariot. So much could spin wildly out of control and yet it does not…The acting is excellent, particularly the bravura performance of Sears...He is at times overwhelmingly manic, but that is perhaps unavoidable, given the relentless motion of the writing...Trigorin has flashes of steeliness and lust, but in the end I was not convinced of his casting."
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