The Motyer-Fancy Theatre’s upcoming production of If We Were Birds, directed by J. E. A. Crake fellow Jay Whitehead, is currently in rehearsals. In honor of Women’s History Month, I was able to interview several cast members about the show and its value. It is a challenging show, written by Canadian playwright Erin Shields in the style of a Greek Tragedy. Reimagining the myth of Philomela and Procne, this play features a chorus of women from contemporary tragedies around the globe—all victims of real-world violence. Several cast members explain why they auditioned, and why it is an important show for people to see.
The decision to audition for such a deep and challenging show is an important decision. All three of the cast members I spoke to had unique perspectives. Laura Torriero plays the main character, Philomela, a young woman who leaves home to bond with her newly married sister Procne. She shared her thought process behind getting involved: “I originally hesitated for quite some time to audition for this show, […] I ended up auditioning because it was a beautifully written script full of incredibly powerful female characters, and a talk with the director Jay Whitehead reassured me about how [respectful] the staging of some scenes was going to be.”
Marly MacEachern, a third-year drama major, was determined to audition for something outside of her comfort zone: “I felt like it was something I needed to be a part of somehow, […] this role is very different but something I am very proud of.” MacEachern plays The Pregnant One— the chorus members are intentionally left nameless. The sentiment that this is an opportunity to challenge themselves with the support of the Department was echoed by other cast members.
When asked why this show is important for people to see, MacEachern responded:, “I think this play is extremely important. It has some hard topics however, these are things that are still happening to this day. And there is such a stigma around these topics, yet it is something that needs to be talked about more, or there wouldn’t be such a ‘bad thing’ about talking about rape / sexual assault.”
Cate McNair, a third-year drama student, expressed the show’s relevance to the Mt. A community specifically, stating that the topics explored in If We Were Birds “happen to people all over the world, regardless of time, place, victim, or perpetrator. Even on a small campus, these issues need to be confronted, and with [the University’s] Sexual Violence Response Plan changing a lot in the past few years, and with the state of the world, these are stories that need to be told, heard, and most importantly understood.”
In a similar vein to her cast mates, third-year drama and psychology student Laura Torriero expressed that the show and its themes of “war, sexual violence and so on” are “just as relevant nowadays as [they were] hundreds or thousands of years ago.” She continued, stating, “I believe that not talking about these kinds of issues is part of the problem. I think that it is important to talk,in a respectful and tasteful manner, about uncomfortable topics that are many people’s reality […]I believe this show can inspire crucial conversations.”
This show, which was written by a woman and is portrayed primarily by women, contains such an important message to consider this month and every month. When thinking about whether you should see the show, consider what Torriero shared: “I believe that any student would benefit from seeing this show, whether they have experienced any of the characters’ experiences or not. If they have, maybe they can experience some catharsis. Even if they can’t relate directly to the themes evoked, it can help to raise awareness and empathy for those who have.”
McNair agreed: “I think that the people who need to see it the most are some of the people who don’t go to the theatre very often, if ever… But the content and the messages of this show are ones that a lot of people need to hear, especially men, especially athletes, especially those who may look down upon the theatre and the work that we do here, because the director is telling stories through the movement and the style choices that elevate the text, and that really make the messages hit home.”
If We Were Birds will be performed March 26 to the 29 with a pay-what-you-can preview on March 25. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
