Stupid F***ing Bird by Aaron Posner at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati
Stupid F***ing Bird by Aaron Posner
My Acting Apprenticeship at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati has finally come to an end! To celebrate our year of service, we performed Stupid Fucking Bird by Aaron Posner, directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin. I played Conrad, an aspiring young theatre director who struggles to get out from under the shadow of his mother Emma, a famous actress. Meanwhile, his young muse Nina falls for Emma’s lover Doyle, and everyone discovers just how disappointing love, art, and growing up can be. In this contemporary and irreverent riff on Chekhov’s The Seagull, Aaron Posner transforms the famous "subtext" of the classic play into exuberant scenes and songs.
This was definitely a challenging role and experience overall. This was my first time playing anything close to a lead or a love interest. Through this experience, I learned that I still need some help getting out of my head and being okay with spontaneity. This was also my first full production since 2019. At first, I didn’t give myself permission to fully believe that show was happening, and I made the mistake of not preparing. I learned how vital it is to come to the first rehearsal with at least all of my monologues and long speeches memorized and with a decent familiarity with my scenes. After getting some grace from my cast and director, I had some fun diving into Conrad.
My biggest takeaway from this experience is that I need some more training and that I am actually capable of delivering larger, more dramatic roles (I’m usually supporting or comedic). I’m interested in the Chekov technique and how it can help me get out of my head into my body. Because I also learned that I am talented, and I do have something to say- I just need a little more help expressing it!
