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to slow, James and some theater pals gath-
ered in Brown’s studio in June 2021. After a
reading, he decided that with the cost of roy-
alties, and no way of knowing the audience
potential, rather than risk a full production he
would plan a polished, staged reading on one
weekend.
Actors Terri Baier and Cameron Lira
will return for the production. Baier recently
appeared in the troupe’s comedy review
“Simple Salmon: The Respawning,” and
Cameron Lira acted in a scene from Sher-
idan’s “The School for Scandal” in the
troupe’s “Almost Baroque” variety show last
year.
Newcomers on the scene include Nancy
Watkins, a transplant from Chicago in her
first Astoria play, and 2020 Astoria High
School graduate Sean Cooney, most recently
seen as the butler in the high school’s pro-
duction of “Clue.” They will be joined by
experienced community actors Jordan Grif-
fin, Mark Erickson and Mick Alderman.
Alderman, who recently directed “The 39
Steps” at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse in
Cannon Beach, portrays Doyle Trigorin, Pos-
ner’s version of the writer who some con-
sider Chekhov’s finest male role. Dan Gerth
provides music for the show.
James noted that Posner once described
his work as “a sort of adaptation” of Chek-
hov’s 1896 work. The original version fea-
tured two writers with contrasting styles,
an ingenue and a fading actress, addressing
love, art and growing up while searching for
meaning.
“Like ‘The Seagull,’ the teacher loves
Masha who loves Conrad who loves Nina
A doctor, played
by Mark Erickson,
right, tries to console
a troubled young
woman in love,
portrayed by Terri
Baier, left.
14 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
who loves the esteemed writer Trigorin
who is loved by Conrad’s mother, a famous
actress,” he said. “And those story arcs
exquisitely play through the two hours traffic
on the stage,” James said.
“The Seagull” was the first of Chekhov’s
four memorable plays, but was not an imme-
diate success. The play’s character Constan-
tine, who acts as the author’s mouthpiece,
called for new forms of theater. These were
embraced by nontraditional Russian stage
director Konstantin Stanislavski, whose con-
cept of method acting was later adopted by
actor Marlon Brando, among others.
“‘The Seagull’ was a dud until it came
to the attention of the newly formed Mos-
cow Art Theater and Stanislavski himself,”
James said, “it became their first commercial
and artistic success. The seagull became the
emblem of the theater,” he added.
One of Posner’s characters is equally
vociferous about the need for new forms
of theater. “My notion of Chekhov is that
through seemingly innocuous dialogue he
exposes the innermost angst and despair
and hopeless of his characters,” James said.
“Posner gives voice to the characters’ three
o’clock in the morning inner dialog. Both
plays are humorous in their way. Posner’s
humor is brash, boisterous, challenges the
boundaries,” he added.
James, who acted professionally before
moving back to Astoria, is intrigued to
observe how audiences react. “My hope
is that ‘Stupid F*!#ing Bird’ will pres-
ent an evening of touching drama, uproari-
ous laughter and enough thought provoca-
tion that you’ll have to talk about it after you
leave the theater. As great theater does,” he
said.
Jordan Griffin, right,
plays a teacher who has
eyes for a cook, played
by Terri Baier, left, in
‘Stupid F*!#ing Bird.’
Photos by Patrick Webb
A fading
actress, played
by Nancy
Watkins,
left, watches
with scorn as
an ingenue,
played by
Cameron Lira,
center, moves
in on her
man, a writer
played by Mick
Alderman,
right, in a tense
moment.