The University of Winnipeg’s Department of Theatre and Film presents Stupid Fucking Bird by Aaron Posner, an irreverent contemporary adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s 1896 play The Seagull, directed by Associate Professor Christopher Brauer, with set, light and projection design by Associate Professor Adam Parboosingh and costume design by student Anika Binding.
The play runs nightly from Tuesday, November 28 through Saturday, December 2 at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film (400 Colony Street, Balmoral entrance). Performances start at 7:30 p.m.
This bold, mischievous, and provocative take on The Seagull is Chekhov like he has never been seen before. Posner, an award-winning playwright, skillfully remixes the renowned “subtext” of the classic play into exuberant and hysterical scenes and songs.
“Stupid Fucking Bird, like The Seagull, is mostly about love, art, hope, and disappointment,” said Posner. “It pits passionate dreams of ideal love and artistic success against the simple hard realities of quotidian life. It’s been fascinating to explore The Seagull—a play I truly love and, in some odd ways, loathe—to find my own resonances and rebellions within it. What has emerged, I hope, in this rough-and-tumble, meta-theatrical mash-up, is a deliberately unfaithful re-imagining that I hope will challenge, amaze, engage, and delight.”
UWinnipeg’s production features performances by the fourth-year Honours Acting class. All technical work is done by junior and senior production students, supervised by UWinnipeg staff and faculty.
Admission is free but reservations are recommended. Tickets can be reserved online or by calling the 24-hour reservation line at (204) 786-9152. Please note the play includes mature themes, sexuality, and suicidal ideation.
Based in the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film at The University of Winnipeg, the Department of Theatre and Film offers concentrations in acting, design, drama in education, filmmaking, playwriting, and production/stage management. Our classes are small and our approach is practical. Our faculty is comprised of highly respected and award-winning professionals who are experienced teachers and remain active in their disciplines, bringing relevant and up-to-date instruction to our students.
