Vanderbilt University Theatre Hatches The Green Bird
Vanderbilt University Theatre’s exciting and quirky fall main stage show introduces a new staff member… and yours truly!
It is uncommon for Vanderbilt University Theatre (VUT) to put on a single play for its fall season. However, VUT’s massive and elaborate production of Carlo Gozzi’s The Green Bird undoubtedly deserves all of the department’s attention and schedule space. With a vibrant twenty-five person cast, gargantuan set, and witty, fast-paced script, The Green Bird has been nothing short of an adventure thick with “prodigious happenings.”
Having performed in musical theatre all through high school, I came to Vanderbilt and instead decided to immerse myself in the technical aspect of it all (I’m sure you will here a lot about my theatre tech experiences in the future). However, this semester I was eager to get back to center stage (the “performer” part of me was missing, ya know?).
The Green Bird is the directorial child of the Theatre Department’s newest faculty member, Leah Lowe. Earning her Ph.D. at Florida State University and joining Vanderbilt University this semester, Leah has added spunk, insight, intelligence, and a new vision to VUT and Green Bird. Leah’s audition process was by far the most laid-back and enjoyable process I had ever experienced. Not only did we read from the script a bit, but we also told jokes, did some miming, and played “Red Light, Green Light.” Pretty chill, right? Since then, the rehearsals have been nothing but constructive and–honestly–really fun! Leah is the most relaxed and personable director I’ve worked with in a long time (which is saying something, considering a lot of directors are control freaks!). I know this show will astound everyone, including the cast and crew!
The running joke among the Green Bird cast is that there is no way to accurately or concisely summarize the play. “It’s about two snotty little twins,” says someone. “Right, but it’s also about a king and his missing queen,” explains someone else. “Then there are some talking statues, singing apples, a lion, a tiger,” adds someone else. And, of course, there’s the green bird. It’s not that I don’t want to fill you in on the play—it’s brilliant! It’s philosophical, dark, energetic, but, most importantly, hilarious! Honestly, there’s something for everyone… just not a summary. :)
VUT’s The Green Bird runs October 28th and 29th at 8 p.m., and 30th at 2pm; November 3rd, 4th, and 5th at 8 p.m.; and November 10th, 11th, and 12th at 8 p.m. Come watch me play the long-lost Queen Ninetta, and prepare for a quest of philosophical proportions!