While no one is spared suffering in “The Birds That Stay,” no one endures as much as Chance McGrady. Chance takes a very real, and admittedly blunt, approach to his trauma, saying in the most absolute way he can that he was not ready to face it just yet.
For those who missed it the play follows the story of five kids just trying to enjoy their Summer. These children are Kyle and Kelly Bartlett, brother and sister who lost their dad to the Vietnam war, Chance McGrady, a young boy whose father left him and was replaced by his abusive stepfather Randy, Chance’s sister Angie McGrady, a shut-in girl with a learning disability who is disallowed from attending school or seeing doctors about her inability to speak, and Cousin Dylan, Kyle and Kelly’s second cousin who had to move in with them after his only other family member died falling down the stairs which has caused him to see the ghost of his dead grandmother.
Early on we learn Kyle is leaving in September for military school, a goal that Kelly is against as she doesn’t want him to leave. As the play progresses the children show Dylan how they have fun during Summer with activities like telling ghost stories, playing cops and robbers, and hanging out with the local graveyard worker Arlo. As Dylan’s visions of his Grandmother get worse he is eventually forced to confront his guilt complex about leaving a bat on the stairs that his grandmother tripped on. At the same time Randy enters another violent outburst leading to chance using a gun to stop him from hurting his mom and sister. By the end Chance is out of the hospital, and on Kyle’s day of leave Kyle decides to unpack and throw the contents of his suitcase around with his friends as the scene fades to black.
“The Birds That stay” was an emotional rollercoaster filled with highs and lows and brought to life by the wonderful acting of all those involved. While Angie and Dylan’s characters could have been executed differently, they serve their respective roles well and it was really heartwarming seeing Angie come out of her shell and speak her first words, or Dylan finally hug his Grandmother’s ghost.
Where the play really shines is the characterization and personalities of each kid. While each one follows some archetype, Kelly is the girl, Kyle is the older brother, Chance is the fat dumb one, Dylan is the smart one, and Angie is the quiet secluded one, these archetypes don’t dictate their entire personality. The children are written realistically even up to the unintentional insensitiveness with line such as, “come over here and I’ll tell you who committed suicide,” or, “there has to be some charge or people would be flying dead bodies all over the place.”
While not the focus of the play, the kids’ friend Arlo Grubb was a spectacular addition to the story. John Braga Raposo, Arlo’s actor, did a fantastic job at playing a very calm, subdued role. With Arlo acting as the only real father figure in these kids’ lives, John was able to convey his lines in such a way that you could feel how much Arlo cared for the kids.
Speaking of Arlo in scene 3 of act 2 Arlo and Kelly sit down at a table to discuss Kyle leaving. Eventually Kelly asks Arlo a very sobering, “do people ever get used to death?” Arlo comforts Kelly in a very touching moment and assures her that even though some people leave, there will always be those that remain there for you, “the birds that stay.”
The choice of music throughout transitions was a nice touch, really bringing the viewer into the feel of the late 60s. Each scene also made sure to keep lighting as similar to the time at which it would have taken place, creating more immersion that kept audiences eyes glued to the stage.
Each performance ended with a well earned standing ovation. BASH is lucky to have such a dedicated drama department and stage crew, and we here at the BASH Cub are looking forward to next year’s plays as well.
