Secrets, Surprises, and Humor in A Black Billed Cuckoo at La Jolla Playhouse.

By Lonnie Burstein Hewitt.

Cuckoo Poster. Photo by Maurice Hewitt

 
In this world-premiere play about a group of birders—one of them a young newbie—the first words you hear are “What do you see?”
 
But much of this show gradually reveals what you don’t see— not only the elusive bird that some of the five onstage characters are missing but also the hidden truths about their lives— super-significant facts unknown to each other about folks they’ve been birding with for years.

The Set, before the performance. Scenic Design by Wilson Chin.
Photo by Maurice Hewitt

Cast onstage, birding. Photo by Rich Soublet 11

 
The play was written by Mat Smart, a gifted playwright who was born in a suburb of Chicago, started out writing for his high school newspaper, went on to an MFA in Playwriting at UCSD, and has written 27 plays so far, some of them inspired by his worldwide travels.  This particular one was  inspired by the birding group he joined several years ago in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, which is now his home.

Iain Gunn, Puppet Designer

 
One of the delightful surprises for me began on the  moonlit night just before showtime when my husband and I walked into the theater and discovered  Iain Gunn (aka Animal Cracker Conspiracy ) was seated beside me— he’s the renowned puppet maker who created  a puppet for the show. 
 
“I’m a puppeteer and a puppet designer, and I really liked the script, but this was the hardest thing  I’ve ever done,” he told me afterwards.
 
“It’s the most technical puppet I’ve ever made and it took me the longest… It has to really look believable when it appears. There are actually 13 little feathers on each wing, all stitched together, so they un-flag when it flies. It’s one not-so-big bird with one big moment.. and I hope it’s a big surprise!” 
 
Can’t show you the Bird in this story… it has to be a surprise!  But you have until October 11 to see A Black Billed Cuckoo for yourself at LJP’s Mandell Weiss Theatre. It’s an unusual show with interesting characters and plenty of heart  and humor. Just keep your eyes open: you don’t want to miss the Bird! 
 
A Black Billed Cuckoo
La Jolla Playhouse
Mandell Weiss Forum
On view until Oct 11
Tickets or 858-550-1010
 

Lonnie Burstein Hewitt is an award-winning author/lyricist/playwright who has been writing about arts and lifestyles in San Diego for over a dozen years. You can reach her at hew2@sbcglobal.net