howling: a fairy tale

by Jordan Bird

PART OF THE BAY AREA PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL 47 COHORT, 2025-2026

FINALIST: O'Neill NPC 2023; Title Wave Play Festival 2023; Normal Avenue's NAPSeries 2023

SEMIFINALIST: Dramatist Guild Foundation’s Virtual Playwriting Workshop 2023; American Blues Theatre Blue Ink Award 2024

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diagnosed Autistic in her late-20s, birdie fears telling her new girlfriend, lin, about her disability... she just can't put her...

PART OF THE BAY AREA PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL 47 COHORT, 2025-2026

FINALIST: O'Neill NPC 2023; Title Wave Play Festival 2023; Normal Avenue's NAPSeries 2023

SEMIFINALIST: Dramatist Guild Foundation’s Virtual Playwriting Workshop 2023; American Blues Theatre Blue Ink Award 2024

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diagnosed Autistic in her late-20s, birdie fears telling her new girlfriend, lin, about her disability... she just can't put her finger on why she's so afraid. it's probably about her mother, mona, who never takes her seriously, or her father, mal, who ignores her completely (he only has eyes for fox news, after all). sy helps birdie work through it all in therapy, and she's making such good progress, really coming right along. but that's in her waking life.

in her sleep, birdie's on a journey through a dark, enchanted forest, her childhood haunt turned dreamscape playground. and like any good forest, this one boasts a beast or two --- well now, you didn't expect these woods to be SAFE. did you?

when birdie stumbles upon a pretty little gingerbread house tucked nice and neat in this temple of trees, she feels the sudden peace of what she's never before known: a pretty little gingerbready safe and sugared home. she can't help but seize the opportunity to settle down... if only she weren't so very tired! so tired straight to the very bone! she'll take a little nap; yes: a little resty-roo! 3 beds against the wall? perfect! one for her. one for me.

...one for you?

and when birdie awakes, those predators i mentioned (you didn't forget them, did you? did you not hear that long, low growl?) --- well, a wolf's a wolf, even in sheep's clothing... and they're gonna teach this bird to howl.

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howling: a fairy tale

Recommended by

  • Heather Helinsky: howling: a fairy tale by Jordan Bird
    “

    I was immediately drawn into the world of the play through the cadence of the characters, which told me everything in the first 10-15 pages about Birdie's heartbreak that would unfold. Highly appreciated the many intentional choices, a primary one being centering Birdie's story on her mental health journey while the play peels away the layers of the emotional abuse in all her familial relationships. This play also provides opportunities for designers to play with lights and shadows of the theatrical woods and theatres to have nuanced conversations with their audiences about neurodiversity.

    I was immediately drawn into the world of the play through the cadence of the characters, which told me everything in the first 10-15 pages about Birdie's heartbreak that would unfold. Highly appreciated the many intentional choices, a primary one being centering Birdie's story on her mental health journey while the play peels away the layers of the emotional abuse in all her familial relationships. This play also provides opportunities for designers to play with lights and shadows of the theatrical woods and theatres to have nuanced conversations with their audiences about neurodiversity.

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: howling: a fairy tale by Jordan Bird
    “

    A beautiful, lyrical play that centers around the compelling Birdie and the way she must navigate her evolving, complex relationships with her fiancee and parents. The way Birdie's alienation from others and her autism are theatricalized is quite inventive and poignant and allows audiences a crystal clear window into her experiences and her past/present struggles with an emotionally abusive mom and a fiancee she's trying to communicate and share her whole self with. I really appreciated, especially, Birdie's difficulties of putting a name to/validating her own abuse in the context of knowing...

    A beautiful, lyrical play that centers around the compelling Birdie and the way she must navigate her evolving, complex relationships with her fiancee and parents. The way Birdie's alienation from others and her autism are theatricalized is quite inventive and poignant and allows audiences a crystal clear window into her experiences and her past/present struggles with an emotionally abusive mom and a fiancee she's trying to communicate and share her whole self with. I really appreciated, especially, Birdie's difficulties of putting a name to/validating her own abuse in the context of knowing Lin's difficult past--a very real narrative.

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    ”
  • Shaun Leisher: howling: a fairy tale by Jordan Bird
    “

    A great modern-day fairytale about the words we can't say and living with autism.

    A great modern-day fairytale about the words we can't say and living with autism.

    ”
View all 5 recommendations

Character Information

9 roles for 5 performers:
1 who uses she/her pronouns
2 who use she/her or they/them pronouns, one of whom must be Autistic
1 who uses he/him pronouns
1 who uses he/him or they/them pronouns and is Autistic

each character but birdie is doubled with a wolf.
  • Birdie
    Autistic, early 30s. *must be played by a ND performer; see script's Casting Note
    not really very angry anymore, thanks for asking.
    30s
    Any
    Female or non-binary
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary,
      Woman
  • Lin / Wolf #1
    neurotypical, 40+
    only on socials for plant mom content
    40s
    Any
    Female or non-binary
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary,
      Woman
  • Mona / Wolf #2
    neurotypical, 60s probably, but it's kinda hard to tell.
    will take a spare vyvanse if you've got one layin around
    55...?
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Mal / Wolf #3
    neurotypical, maybe, at least late-60s
    ask him to jump, and he'll ask off what bridge.
    65+
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man
  • Sy / Wolf #4
    Autistic, about 40 and looking older all the time. *must be played by a ND performer; see script's Casting Note
    losing the battle with counter-transference.
    40s
    Any
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary

Development History

Awards

  • Blue Ink Award
    American Blues Theatre
    Semi-Finalist
    2024
  • Virtual Playwriting Fellowship
    Dramatist Guild Foundation
    Semi-Finalist
    2023
  • NAP Series
    Normal Avenue
    Finalist
    2023