it's just us and the birds

This stage version of The Birds, written by Irish playwright Conor McPherson, is in the Dowling Studio, the smallest of the three theaters in the Guthrie building (located on the ninth floor -- amazing views from the lobby). The Dowling is general admission as opposed to reserved seating, and James and I arrived about ten minutes early. The place was already packed! We couldn't even find two seats together. On a Thursday night! This show is apparently a hit... Lots of college-age-looking people.

If, however, they were looking for a story paralleling Alfred Hitchcocks's 1963 film version, they would have been disappointed. This Birds has four characters, isolated in a remote farmhouse, and they are possibly the last people left in the world after the birds have taken over. If you can forget Hitchcock, this is a good, suspenseful story on its own. The acting is terrific, the set is amazing.... and there are times you can feel like the birds are all around you, even though you see none of them.