WESTFORD — Westford Academy Theater presented its Massachusetts Educational Theater Guilds semi-final winner “Stupid… Bird” this week.
This WA production was dubbed the winner at the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guilds semi-final round on March 15. With this win, the WA Theater Department will advance to the METG state finals at the end of March.
Multiple students were also recognized at the METG semi-finals in acting and technical theater.
Ethan Mandile, Xander Holway, and Lewis Casale received recognition for Excellence in Technical Theater: Set Design, Aubrie Rose for Excellence in Acting, Hayden Pelta, Tyler Pelta, and Téa Munichiello for Excellence in Technical Theater: Lighting Design, Tyler Santos for Excellence in Acting, and DJ Maillet for Excellence in Acting.
None of this comes as a surprise, as the WATD never ceases to amaze with many astounding performances in its repertoire including “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which they performed in October.
The high school students conveyed mature themes with the same dedication that they surely showed at the METG semi-finals, leaving many in the crowd gasping. Many of the characters have complex personalities, obsessions, or sad endings.
The production by Aaron Posner carries heavy themes about suicide, relationships, the desire for love, and the pressure of one’s pursuits. The show follows a family including a struggling playwright, his actress girlfriend, the playwright’s overbearing actress mother, her boyfriend and renowned book author, and friends who have found themselves caught in a love triangle.
There may not be a single character who leaves the play without being burned in one way or another. However, one thing seems to connect them all: their desire for love, contentment, or the pursuit of greatness.
As the show unravels their complicated and intertwined lives, some seem to get what they want but none seem to be satisfied in the end.
The play portrayed mature topics and complicated emotions that WA theater students tackled without struggle. Students were able to represent characters and make the audience a part of blunt storytelling that at times left the crowd stunned silent; silent that is until the curtain closed and the audience erupted into applause.
“Stupid… Bird” was performed in the WA theater on March 20 and March 25 at 8 p.m. with the former also incorporating a Talk Back after the performance to unpack the play’s difficult yet important topics.
WA students Campbell Twitchell, Tyler Santos, Carissa Wong, Aubrie Rose, Rithvik Raghunath, Ruby Davis, and DJ Maillet played the main characters in the show.
