Birds of North America by Anna Ouyang Moench marks the triumphant return of Theater on the Edge (5542 Hansel Avenue Orlando Florida).
I last sketched at Theater on the Edge about 3 years ago. Life has been throwing curve balls which have kept the theater shuttered since then until now. I have always loved the productions in this tiny theater that always packs a punch.
This play is about a father, John, played by Allan Whitehead, and his daughter, Caitlyn, played by Elaitheia Quinn. The play takes place in the backyard of John’s home in Baltimore Maryland. The father daughter relationship is tested over the course of a decade tarting in the fall of 2010 as partners come and go, as creative dreams die, as he retires and she struggles with single life again. They struggle to understand one another since he is very liberal and she works as a marketer for a far right think tank. The ones we love are often the ones we end up hurting the most.
I have seen these two actors before in past productions at Theater on the Edge and they are both powerhouses. Elaitheia’s performance as she recounts her miscarriage is heart wrenching. John is sure his scientific research will result in a vaccine that could save millions of lives, but ultimately that research hits a brick wall. Through all that life throws at the two they still take joy from seeing birds they have never encountered before and checking it off the life list. I fell in love with these two despite, or perhaps because, of their faults and quirks. By the end of the show I was in tears.
I can not recommend this play enough. It will leave you wanting to hold those you love close. If you have pushed those you love away, it will leave you yearning to rekindle that spark. Birds of North America runs through May 18, 2025. Tickets are $28 to $34. In this intimate 30 seat theater there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Seriously, see this show! You will be glad you did.