Regretfully, So the Birds Are by Julia Izumi

Illy and Neel fall in love and Mora is so upset she decides to go on a journey to find her birth mother. Meanwhile, Neel discovers he’s tone-deaf and decides to go on a journey to find himself. Meanwhile, Illy doesn't go on a journey because she's bought a part of the sky, so what more does she need? Meanwhile Elinore is in jail and Cam is melting . . .? A farcical tragedy that questions the...
Illy and Neel fall in love and Mora is so upset she decides to go on a journey to find her birth mother. Meanwhile, Neel discovers he’s tone-deaf and decides to go on a journey to find himself. Meanwhile, Illy doesn't go on a journey because she's bought a part of the sky, so what more does she need? Meanwhile Elinore is in jail and Cam is melting . . .? A farcical tragedy that questions the destructive nature of the American need for identity and the murky waters of Asian-American-ness.
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Regretfully, So the Birds Are

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Character Information

  • Illy
    25,
    Asian American
    ,
    Female
    The youngest and the most impressive, stubborn and self-assured, she has big dreams that are hampered by being the only responsible one in her messy family.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American, South Asian or South Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Neel
    28,
    Asian American
    ,
    Male
    Classic middle child, anxious and naive, he learns something new about himself that leaves him completely unmoored, but underneath a lot of self-doubt is a strong moral conscience.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American, South Asian or South Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Mora
    29 going on 30,
    Asian American
    ,
    Female
    The oldest and the messiest, she lives and feels everything at a ten, which sometimes leads to rash decisions, like going to find her birth mother with no real leads.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Elinore
    62,
    White
    ,
    Female
    The mother of three adoptees, she loves a lot but not always well. A recovering Vicodin addict, the damage of which has left her a little unpredictable and strange, although perhaps she was always like that, it's hard to tell. Also plays a panicked BIRD.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Cam the Snowman
    White
    ,
    Male
    white, male, a mostly dry and (ironically) warm snowman, the fragments of a father who was a professor of Asian History, though not a particularly good one, maybe even arguably a pretty terrible one. Also plays an enticing COWMAN.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Srey
    Age Unclear,
    French-Cambodian?
    ,
    Female
    An excellent storyteller and a natural caretaker, appears mysterious but she is actually just living in the moment, like we all claim we want to be.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s+
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any actor of color
    • Gender: 
      Any gender

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Clubbed Thumb
    ,
    2021
  • Workshop
    ,
    Ojai Playwrights Conference
    ,
    2020
  • Residency
    ,
    Clubbed Thumb
    ,
    2020
  • Workshop
    ,
    Williamstown Theatre Festival
    ,
    2019
  • Residency
    ,
    Space on Ryder Farm
    ,
    2019

Awards

Dr. Kerry English Award
,
Ojai Playwrights Conference
,
2021