By Ryan Leon, March 4, 2025
The Department of Theatre and New Dance at Cal Poly Pomona is gearing up to unveil its next play, “Stupid F*cking Bird,” a romantic comedy about the problems of youth.
Director Bernardo Solano, a professor in the theater department, described “Stupid F*cking Bird” as an adaptation of the play “The Seagull,” a tragicomedy about art, fame, human folly and the eternal desire to live a purposeful life written by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov at the end of the 19th century. Solano stressed the importance of understanding the original play and making the right casting decisions.
Understanding the original play helped Solano figure out the similarities and differences between the original and contemporary versions, citing extensive research as part of his preparation for directing. Then, casting the right people allowed him to be more of an intuitive director and not have to plan out every single moment on stage.
“I basically wing it and trust my instinct and trust my gut that I know the play well enough,” Solano said. “A big part of it is casting. If I’ve done a good job of casting, then it will be a better match for the material and for the character, and they will understand it and bring things to their characterization that I can only dream about.”
Ava Ferreira, a theatre student and stage manager of the play, said the play isn’t necessarily a direct adaptation of Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” but inspired by elements of it instead. Ferreira said this new iteration — which is also her senior project — focuses more on the main character Conrad, played by theatre student Joseph Montoya, and his challenges as an artist while being a playwright and director.
Fair warning: While the play is open to all, it may not be for everyone. Although the play is meant to be funny, it also deals with serious issues, such as suicide, and for those who are sensitive to profanity, the F-word is said about 80 times, according to Ferreira.
Each member of the production team has come together to deliver a show they’re proud of, along with a cast of actors who are passionate about their roles in the play.
Lu Yeh, a theatre student with an emphasis in education and community engagement, plays the antagonist, Doyle Trigoran. Yeh described the character of Trigoran as a successful version of the main character, and said it’s a very peculiar role.
Yeh said Trigoran is the most difficult to understand in the play because he says a lot of words that aren’t vital, and it’s hard to tell when he’s being genuine.
Both Montoya and Ferreira highlighted the play’s dark themes and gave explanations about what to expect.
“It’s very heavy,” Montoya said. “Very heavy subject matter dealing with unrequited love and suicide. A lot of the characters want something that a lot of them can’t get, and I would say this play does a really good job balancing humor and drama.”
Ferreira echoed there are a lot of mentions of suicide and said the mental state of certain characters is in bad shape. Although she wants everyone to come and see the show, Ferreira acknowledged the importance of protecting one’s peace. While there are things present in the play that may trigger some viewers, including those difficult themes is one way to make the story more impactful.
“I think the impact of art is that it tells stories in a way where you’re not thinking about the world, you’re only thinking about this play,” Ferreira said. “Once the play is over, you can relate that back to the world’s experiences.”
A tale about the challenges of art, youth and love, “Stupid F*cking Bird” looks set to take audience members through a funny, serious and emotional ride. The play will run from opening night Friday March 7 to March 16 inside Building 25’s Studio Theatre, located in room 110.
Each show starts at 7:30 p.m., except for the final presentation March 16, which starts at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale now, and the price of admission varies. General admission is $15, and CPP alumni pay $12. Faculty, staff, students and seniors can get in at the lowest price for $10.
Feature image courtesy of Department of Theatre and New Dance
