The Blue Bird Nests at Urban Stages Beginning Dec. 14

By Adam Hetrick
November 26, 2007

Stanton Wood and Lori Ann Laster's multi-media production The Blue Bird will make its world premiere at Urban Stages this holiday season.

Former Urban Stages program director Laster and Wood, who provided Urban Stages with previous productions of The Snow Queen and The Magical Forest of Baba Yaga, adapted the stage production of Blue Bird from the original work penned by Nobel Prize-winning author Maurice Maeterlinck.

"A mysterious visitor on Christmas Eve," read Blue Bird press notes, "leads Martha, a materialistic city girl, on a fantastical journey. Armed with a magic hat that reveals the 'true nature' of things and accompanied by her household pets, Martha finds the 'blue bird of happiness.'"

Heath Cullens will direct a cast comprising Ronit Aranoft, Drew Battles, Diana Buirski, Jenny Gammello, Francis Mateo and Maureen Silliman.

The Blue Bird will feature scenic design by contemporary Russian design artist Andrei Bartenev, original music by Colm Clark, video design by Alex Koch and lighting effects by Josh Bradford.

Bartenev's physical design for The Blue Bird is described as "synthetic performance spectacle." Bartenev is known for synthesizing different forms of contemporary art (video installation, performance, kinetic art, musical light shows, sculpture), technogenic materials (neon, plastic, cellophane) and combining them with video, graphic art and light-boxes in "a powerful burst of positive energy to ignite the viewer."

Commissioned for Urban Stages, The Blue Bird begins performances Dec. 14 and will continue its limited holiday engagement through Jan. 13, 2008.

Tickets are available by calling (212) 868-4444 or by visiting www.urbanstages.org.

Urban Stages is located at 259 West 30th Street in Manhattan.