The Department of Performing and Media arts presents:

Stupid F##king Bird

By Aaron Posner
 

Director by
Fannie Massarsky '24

The Flexible Theatre, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts
430 College Avenue
Thursday, March 7th, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 8th, 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 9th, 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Cast
Conrad - Justin Lee
Nina - Tess Lovell
Emma Arkadina - Liv Licursi
Trigorin - Andrew Restieri
Dev - Noah Leety
Mash - Katherine Lynn-Rose
Dr. Eugene Sorn - Jack McManus

Crew
Assistant Director: Zoe Buddie
Stage Manager: Ethan Ordower
Assistant Stage Manager: Nianhui Yang
Set Designer/Deck Crew/Board Operator: Bailey Hecht
Costume Designer/Dresser: Jillian Palmer

The performance will include a 15-minute intermission.

Content Warning: This production contains mature themes and language, including discussion and portrayal of gun violence, gunshot noises, sexual content, loss of child, and offstage depiction of suicide.

Sort of adapted from THE SEAGULL by Anton Chekhov

Original music by James Sugg STUPID FUCKING BIRD was developed and received its world premiere in June 2013 at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Washington, D.C. (Howard Shalwitz, Artistic Director; Jeffrey Hermann, Managing Director)

The vision of the Department of Performing and Media Arts is to nurture and mentor artists, performers, writers, and thinkers through the process of event programming. We recognize that all people should see their stories represented, and envision their stories as valuable.

We commit ourselves to creating spaces that actively seek to break down systems of oppression based on race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, and place of origin and empower all to be involved. We seek to stimulate thoughtful discussion and enact social change within our productions and our audiences. It is our goal to make our events accessible to the wider Cornell and Ithaca community, to strengthen bonds and engage inquiry, dialogue, and impact around social and cultural change.

In the 2023-2024 academic year we will help realize a wide range of students’ creative projects, from original plays, to solo performances, to readings, to choreographies, to acting, directorial, and curatorial projects. We are particularly happy that in addition to supporting live performances, we are now also supporting the production of student films. Enjoy the shows!

Growing up in a Russian household, Chekhov permeated our discussions of art. I remember feeling so drawn to Nina’s “why did you kiss the ground I walked on” monologue, although its full significance eluded me. I read Stupid F**king Bird in ninth grade, and felt deeply moved by its ability to speak to so many questions percolating in my head in a way that was more accessible and digestible than its original counterpart. The themes of fame versus mediocrity, the anguish of unrequited love, the power and cost of art, and the level of truth behind Dr. Sorn’s sentiment that “the poorer, the more tortured the artist, the better the art” are ones I imagine anyone can relate to. Eight years later, I find its motifs to be as relevant as ever. It has been such a wonderful challenge to work on a play that is simultaneously so realistic and metatheatrical - this truly is a new form. There is so much misplaced love in this play. I hope you can empathize with these characters. Enjoy the show.  

Justin Lee (Con)
Justin is a sophomore in PMA studying Film. This is his first show in PMA, and he's super excited to be working with such a talented cast and crew. He hopes everyone enjoys the show! 

Tess Lovell (Nina)
Tess is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences studying English and Performing and Media Arts. Her previous performances at Cornell include Chicago, The Family Copoli, Desdemona, and Baby Rock. You may also know her from The Whistling Shrimp improv comedy troupe. She is from Brooklyn, NY. 

Liv Licursi (Emma Arkadina)
Liv is a junior studying Industrial and Labor Relations & Performing and Media Arts. Her recent credits include Matron Mama Morton (Chicago), Kate Monster (Avenue Q), Martula (The Family Copoli), Mimi Marquez (Rent), and Marcy Park (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). Last semester, she was also a cast member of Love and Information which ran for one weekend in the Flex, and last spring, she directed & choreographed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with the Melodramatics. Currently, she is working on producing the 11th Annual Centrally Isolated Film Festival and assistant directing Kenny Aune's thesis film, Doomscroll. She is so proud of this incredible cast and crew, and she hopes you enjoy this incredible story!

Andrew Restieri (Trigorin)
Andrew is a Tony Award-nominated theatrical producer and PhD student in the Department of Communication at Cornell University. He received his BA in Theatre from Northwestern University. He is thrilled to making his PMA debut with this production! 

Noah Leety (Dev)
Noah is a senior in the Industrial and Labor Relations School with an interest in comedy writing and TV development. He is the president of Cornell’s sketch comedy group Humor Us!, a group he has been a part of for three years. This is his first time in a PMA production and he is very excited to see everyone there! 

Katherine Lynn-Rose (Mash)
Katherine is a Chinese-Canadian actor, composer/lyricist, and writer/director represented by Rebel Creative Group in LA/NY for theatre, film, and TV. She competed as a semi-finalist in the second season of Canada’s Got Talent with her original songs. Katherine is currently a junior studying Performing and Media Arts at Cornell University. 

Jack McManus (Dr. Eugene Sorn)
Jack is currently a Junior studying Biodiversity and Systematics. Other productions include Sidney Bruhl in Deathtrap, Hamlet in Hamlet and Jay in Reach for the Sky. He is also directing a performance of Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice later this spring. After his time at Cornell, Jack plans to pursue performing professionally, and wants to thank everyone involved in the production, from the cast to everyone behind the stage, for creating such a fun environment to learn and play. 

Fannie Massarsky (Director) is a senior majoring in PMA and Psychology. She is so excited to put up this play as her senior thesis! PMA acting credits include Love and Information, and over 15 short films. She wants to extend the biggest thank you to her talented cast and crew for their dedication, and to her mentors for their support. Enjoy the show!

Zoe Buddie (Assistant Director) is a sophomore studying psychology and PMA. She is ecstatic to be working with such a talented group of people for her first ever shot at (assistant) directing. Usually you can find her onstage, but this semester she’s honored to be experiencing a new side of theatre and learning from the very best.

Ethan Ordower (Stage Manager) is a Junior majoring in Urban and Regional Studies and minoring in Theatre and Policy Analysis and Management. He is the President and Producer of the student-run Melodramatics Theatre Company, and loves working behind the scenes however he can. He is so excited to be a part of his first PMA departmental production, and hopes you all enjoy the show that the cast has worked so hard on!

Nianhui Yang (Assistant Stage Manager) is a senior student in the college of Arts and Sciences. She is majoring in biological sciences while minoring in theatre and health policy. This is the second production she joined in PMA, and she is very excited to observe the creative process from a different perspective.

I would like to extend the biggest of thank yous to my talented cast, to my assistant director, Zoe, whose feedback was invaluable, to my dedicated stage manager, Ethan, and assistant stage manager, Nianhui, who both kept me afloat, to my scenic designer, Bailey, who was so patient with me, to my wonderful mentors, Carolyn Goelzer, Beth Milles, and Ellen Gainor, who were always there to sit in on a rehearsal or offer dramaturgical guidance, to my visionary of a costume designer, Jillian, to the PMA production team - Andrew Deppen, Alexa Alfonsi, Savannah Relos, Tim Ostrander, Michael Garrett, Warren Cross, Youngsun Palmer, Lisa Boquist, and Alfred Bernstein. And thank you to everyone for coming tonight. Your support means the world.