Bird on a Tree Branch by Jan Probst

As a tornado threatens to tear the town apart, Hannah finds herself to be an unexpected guest in Doug and Vivian’s basement refuge. It’s 1965, and civil rights meet civil war as the trio struggle to survive this shelter from the storm.

NOTE: Premiere at Phoenix Theatre in San Francisco was cancelled due to the coronavirus.

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Bird on a Tree Branch

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Character Information

The younger versions of Doug and Vivian are written to be played by the same actors.
The character of Al is written as a double for the actor playing Doug.

  • Vivian Smiley
    42,
    White
    ,
    Female
    Housewife, ex-Mennonite. White, forty-two years old, and one scene at the age of eighteen. Can be doubled, or cast as two separate roles.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Hannah Jackson
    48,
    African American / Black
    ,
    Female
    Junior college instructor. Black, forty-eight years old.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Doug Smiley
    42,
    White
    ,
    Male
    Vivian's husband. Sells insurance, likes to talk.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Al Smiley, Jr.
    19,
    White
    ,
    Male
    Doug's deceased older brother, at the age of nineteen. Always wears his high school letter jacket. Can be played by the actor playing Doug, or as a separate role.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Announcer/Newsman
    Male
    Voice-over of radio announcer or newsman, to sound like a radio announcer from the era.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Last Frontier Theatre Conference
    ,
    2019