The Ones That Flutter

by Sylvia Reed

Roddy learned early in life he could do things others wouldn’t do. On dove shoots with his father, he was the son who finished off the birds that were wounded, but not dead, by spinning them and breaking their necks. Later, as warden of Death Row at the Huntsville Unit in Texas, he oversaw dozens of executions until the final one of his career – the execution of Death Row poet Samuel Hunter. Depressed and beaten...

Roddy learned early in life he could do things others wouldn’t do. On dove shoots with his father, he was the son who finished off the birds that were wounded, but not dead, by spinning them and breaking their necks. Later, as warden of Death Row at the Huntsville Unit in Texas, he oversaw dozens of executions until the final one of his career – the execution of Death Row poet Samuel Hunter. Depressed and beaten down by his life’s work, Roddy flees and hides out at his family home in Florida. But developers come calling, and Roddy is forced to reckon with his estranged daughter Julie Ray and face the ghosts of his past.

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The Ones That Flutter

Recommended by

  • Ken Love: The Ones That Flutter by Sylvia Reed
    “

    The plays of Horton Foote and Marsha Norman come to mind after reading this tortured, lyrical work. An execution, the selling of property and the pain of familial relationships intersect and are brought to life through vivid, dimensioned characters. A fulfilling reading experience that I am sure would be matched by seeing it staged.

    The plays of Horton Foote and Marsha Norman come to mind after reading this tortured, lyrical work. An execution, the selling of property and the pain of familial relationships intersect and are brought to life through vivid, dimensioned characters. A fulfilling reading experience that I am sure would be matched by seeing it staged.

    ”
  • Mark Rigney: The Ones That Flutter by Sylvia Reed
    “

    I'd never heard of either playwright or play, but, for whatever reason, I chose to read this one. Words on a page rarely summon emotion; it's quite the trick. Sylvia Reed manages that and more. If you're looking for something with impact, you're in the right place.

    I'd never heard of either playwright or play, but, for whatever reason, I chose to read this one. Words on a page rarely summon emotion; it's quite the trick. Sylvia Reed manages that and more. If you're looking for something with impact, you're in the right place.

    ”
  • Allison Gregory: The Ones That Flutter by Sylvia Reed
    “

    Lyrical, gritty, and troubling, the play rivets from the first image until the satisfying ending. The writing is lean and muscled, the story compelling, the characters haunted and fascinating. A searing piece of theatre.

    Lyrical, gritty, and troubling, the play rivets from the first image until the satisfying ending. The writing is lean and muscled, the story compelling, the characters haunted and fascinating. A searing piece of theatre.

    ”
View all 5 recommendations

Development History

  • Workshop, Summer Play Festival, New York City, 2008
  • Reading, New Stage Theatre (Mississippi) Eudora Welty New Play Series, First prize, 2007
  • Reading, Boston TheatreWorks BTW Unbound, First prize, 2006
  • Reading, Theatre in the Square (Marietta, Georgia), 2006

Production History

  • Professional, Theatre503, London, 2009