Directed by Jenn Thompson, the play focuses on Mary Kay Twist, a 50-year-old New York birdwatcher, who, while searching for meaning in her life, impulsively takes in two teenage street kids.

"Everyone, especially her best friend Beth, rebuffs Mary Kay's newfound activism as misplaced and ineffectual," according to Abingdon notes. "The homeless teenagers, whom she fights so desperately to save, force Mary Kay to confront her own sense of loss and loneliness."

Featured in the reading's cast are Kit Flanagan, Helen Green, Nancy Johnston, Tuck Milligan and Rufus Tureen.

The Language of Birds will be performed March 23 at 2 PM in the June Havoc Theatre at the Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex, 312 W. 36th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.

Admission is free and open to the public. Reservations are not necessary. First Readings "are the first steps in Abingdon's five-step script development process," according to the Off-Broadway company. Three to five times a month, Abingdon presents a First Reading of a brand-new full-length play. This is a significant step for the playwright; it allows a playwright to hear his or her work read aloud for the first time, and audience feedback and discussions following the reading give both the artistic staff of Abingdon and the playwright objective (but positive) critiques that help the playwright develop his or her play further."

Artistic directors for Abingdon Theatre Company are Jan Buttram and Pamela Paul, and the managing director is Samuel J. Bellinger.

Abingdon Theatre Company, founded in 1993, is dedicated to developing and producing new plays by American playwrights.

For more information, visit www.abingdontheatre.org.