Birds of North America

John and his daughter Caitlyn are birders. As they scan the skies over their backyard in suburban Maryland looking for elusive birds, years go by. Relationships begin and end. Children grow up and parents age. The climate and the world change in small and vast ways. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA takes a close look at the relationship of a father and daughter over the course of a decade as they struggle to understand...
John and his daughter Caitlyn are birders. As they scan the skies over their backyard in suburban Maryland looking for elusive birds, years go by. Relationships begin and end. Children grow up and parents age. The climate and the world change in small and vast ways. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA takes a close look at the relationship of a father and daughter over the course of a decade as they struggle to understand the parts of one another that defy understanding.
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Birds of North America

Recommended by

  • M. Nasorri Pavone:
    15 Nov. 2023
    I love this play because it made me ache. I admire its subtext and simplicity, its humor and truth. Brava!
  • Aly Kantor:
    7 Feb. 2022
    This delicate two-hander is sublime in the way it builds depth in spite of its apparent simplicity - by the end, you feel like you know these two human beings intimately, even though you've only seen a few brief minutes of their lives across years. The dialogue is natural, consistent, and contains so much in pauses, body language, and negative space. There is so much said about change, inevitability, and even fate without any character addressing these things head-on. It's full of so much emotion rooted in a very authentic place. A new, unique family drama for the current moment.
  • Ian Thal:
    26 Nov. 2021
    The seasons pass and climate change makes the autumns warmer and warmer, altering the migration patterns of the birds, fueling the slow burn between father and daughter. What begins as light comedy in Moench's hands may avoid tragedy, but ends in elegy. I reviewed Birds of North America for Washington City Paper: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/540057/a-flock-of-feelings-in-birds-of-north-america/

Development History

  • Workshop
    ,
    UCSD Wagner New Play Festival
    ,
    2017

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Thrown Stone
    ,
    2019
  • Professional
    ,
    Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company
    ,
    2017

Awards

Winner
,
Generations Award
,
Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company
,
2017
Honorable Mention
,
2017 Kilroys List
,
The Kilroys
,
2017