David Jerome
Correspondent

“The Birds” are coming to the Rustic Theatre, in time for Halloween. Idyllwild Actors Theatre President and Founder Suzanne Avalon promises a “really fun, scary experience” when the group presents a stage adaptation of Daphne de Maurier’s famous tale of birds gone bad and the people they try to murder.

Since its inception in 2003, Avalon has produced over 75 IAT plays. She and Director Kathleen Walker were able to give the Town Crier a bit of background about their team and the work that went into “hatching” this production.

TC: “What led you to choose ‘The Birds’?”

Avalon: “I wanted to do something around Halloween. I’ve always loved the work of the playwright Conor McPherson. He is a wonderful wordsmith who can put an audience on the edge of their seats. Its post-apocalyptic; a cataclysmic event has happened and the birds have taken over, a few people are trying to survive, trapped inside. I think there’s a parallel with COVID.”

Walker: “It has an existential quality: Who is more threatening, the birds outside or the people inside? It is written by the great Irish playwright Conor McPherson (‘The Weir,’ ‘The Seafarer,’ ‘Shining City’) who writes terror very well. He is ever-intense.

“This play is the third attempt at ‘The Birds,’ [after De Maurier’s book and Hitchcock’s film] now set in New England. It’s a short play, 1-1/2 hours … three characters trapped in a cabin while homicidal birds try to get at them.

“How do we act under intense pressure? Why do we start feeding on each other when the birds hit the fan? What is this inability to respond to disaster? Why can’t we just work together?

“We have worked really hard on this show to make it vibrant, peppered with humanity and humor. It’s not just one note. There is laughter, suspense and terror.”

TC: “What is your role as producer?”

Avalon: “Choosing and acquiring [performance rights of the] play, marketing and fundraising — the nuts and bolts of getting the right people together to make the play what it should be. I always surround myself with people who know more than I do. Not just actors; director, designers, stage managers. A lot of the designers are members of the board. Luckily the company is comprised of very experienced talented people, professionals.”

TC: “Tell us about the team.”

Avalon: “We are fortunate to have Kathleen Walker as director of ‘The Birds.’ Her directing is pure magic. Jacob Teel is not only a talented actor but a great set designer. Goldie Hoffman is a professional actress/comedian, and both Devin Price and Robert Norman have long histories in theater. The fifth character is the sound effects, the genius of Brian Parnell [Throw the Goat, Audiowild]. The lighting design by Kim Negrete is also compelling.”

Walker: “It’s going to be a knock-out show. One of IAT’s best — strong acting ensemble, it’s a psychological thriller.”

Walker has been with IAT for five years. She received a master’s degree in fine arts at Pennsylvania State, did a brief stint at Julliard, and also studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. She has worked as an actress off-Broadway and with a touring classical repertoire company across the country.

When asked about her work as a director, Walker said: “I know how to work with actors; that’s my strength. This production has been a wonderful collaborative production; the actors and I have worked together to find what works. Not just me barking out orders — brainstorming. As an actor myself, I know how important it is to get at what motivates the character. You have to have the humility to listen to your actors.”

In response to concerns from theater goers, a separate mask-only section will be available. The Rustic Theatre owners will continue to use [their] UV filtration and sanitize after every show and the high touch areas throughout the day. Plenty of seats are available.

“The Birds” will attack at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, and at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30. This is the first time in many years that IAT has offered a matinee.

Tickets are $20 online at idyllwildactorstheatre.com or $25 at the door.