Theatre East will present its newest show, “Edie Saves the Birds,” beginning Friday, April 1, at its new permanent venue in Long Island City, to encourage conversations about our personal relationships amid the pandemic.
The story follows 13-year-old Edie, the daughter of a single mom, who focuses her energy on one thing: saving the birds. She dedicates her days to this pursuit, until she meets Kyle, a popular baseball player, and gets distracted. Edie then realizes that, not only do the birds need saving, but so do the relationships we hold closest to us.
According to director Judson Jones, the play forces the audience to consider their relationships, and how they have nurtured them during the pandemic.
“I think it’s something we’ve all experienced in the past couple of years — how important our relationships are and how fragile they are, what they mean to us, how they strengthen us and how often they go neglected,” Jones said. “If we don’t pay attention to them, they will go extinct.”
The story was developed during the pandemic as the team of writers and actors had nothing but time on their hands and needed an “outlet.” Jones also mentioned that this production comes at the perfect time as he noted how divided society has become.
“To be reminded of how common we all are, and if we have the bravery and audacity to allow a 13-year-old girl to point it out to us, we might be in a better place,” Jones said.
The production begins at the permanent new venue Theatre East shares with the Astoria Performing Arts Center at 44-02 23rd St. in Long Island City through Saturday, April 23.
Theatre East, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focuses on advancing the dialogue of the shared human experience through their storytelling. The company was founded in 2008 by Jones, his wife Christa Kimlicko Jones and others.
Jones, who resides in Sunnyside, said that for the most part, Theatre East has been performing around Manhattan for the past 10 years. But he is thrilled to finally be able to permanently perform in his home of Queens.
“We’ve always wanted to produce in Queens,” Jones said. “It’s our community and we always wanted to find a way to serve that community.”
Jones said the space will be curated to be a state-of-the-art facility that brings attention to Queens.
“Queens has an amazing artistic community, and for years has had very little opportunity to really show that off,” Jones said. “I know so many actors and producers that live in Queens but go to Manhattan to work and many of its residents still feel the need to go to Manhattan to see professional theater and we wanted to provide that where we live.”
Tickets start at $30. To purchase and for more information, visit theatreeast.org/edie-saves-the-birds.
