Birds of North America by Matthew-Lee Erlbach, Sullivan Playwright in Residence
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Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing century, Birds of North America is a searing dark comedy-drama about immigration, technology, the American Dream, and one working-class family's last-ditch effort to save themselves and their name before they go extinct.
New York-based playwright and alum Matthew-Lee Erlbach returns to develop a new play prior to the opening of his play Revelations (directed by Tony-Award winner Anna D. Shapiro) on Broadway. Erlbach will work with students and faculty to workshop this contemporary dark comedy which speaks to our current moment. Following a rigorous four-day process, the play-in-progress will be presented as a Reading, and as with most professional new play readings, space will be provided to share responses to the play in a facilitated Discussion.
The Sullivan Playwright-in-Residence program (now in its second year) seeks to accomplish a three-fold vision: to give up-and-coming and/or established playwrights a safe artistic haven in which to take chances on new story ideas, and new forms in a setting that allows them to dig deeply into their work; to give student actors the experience of working on a new piece of theatre that challenges them to bring their imaginations and ideas to bear on a work in its formative stages; and lastly to present the sophisticated Champaign-Urbana audiences with a view of theatrical script development in its earlier stages.
