Season 2, Episode 5: Behind every summer is a community that keeps Fire Island alive. This episode explores the history of the beloved Pines Pantry through the eyes of its iconic Pantry Girls, alongside the volunteer firefighters of The Pines and Cherry Grove who protect the island from fires, hurricanes, beach erosion, and an uncertain future.
World Premiere of Sci-Fi Thriller THE STARLING EFFECT Will Come to Calgary
Written by playwright Lara Schmitz and winner of the 2022 Alberta Playwrights Network Novitiate Prize, the production will run April 28–May 9, 2026 at Vertigo Studio Theatre.
By: Stephi Wild
Verb Theatre, in association with Reckless Daughter Creative, will present the world premiere of The Starling Effect by local playwright Lara Schmitz, a suspenseful new science fiction play running April 28 – May 9, 2026 at Vertigo Studio Theatre. Winner of the 2022 Alberta Playwrights Network Novitiate Prize, the production plunges audiences into a haunting story of memory, guilt, and the dangerous limits of scientific discovery.
“The Starling Effect is a brand new play that introduces the rare genre of speculative fiction to the stage for Calgary audiences. This show is a fast paced, thrilling ride from start to finish that asks audiences how far they would go to save someone they love - or to save themselves. With memory hopping, body swapping, and other classic tenets of the sci-fi genre, The Starling Effect is unlike any other show Verb has ever done,” said Kathryn Smith, Artistic Director of Verb Theatre and Director of this production.
Ravonna believed she had killed her sister. But when she tampers with a consciousness experiment, she discovers something far stranger: her sister's soul - and the soul of her former mentor's wife, are trapped inside the body of a starling bird. With time running out, Ravonna and Dr. Sandra Beetle must put aside their bitter history and attempt the impossible - sending Ravonna's consciousness into the starling itself. Once inside, Ravonna encounters a labyrinth of memories and secrets that threaten to unravel everything she thought she knew.
“Once I started researching starlings, I was hooked. Along with majestic murmurations (flocks of thousands of starlings that fly in an almost kaleidoscopic formation), I've watched countless videos of starlings mimicking the human voice and it is eerie. It made me wonder: what if a person lost a loved one and then, months later, heard their voice again…coming from a bird?,” said Lara Schmitz, Playwright & Performer.
A non-stop theatrical thriller, The Starling Effect offers Calgary audiences a rare opportunity to experience science fiction live on stage, blending speculative storytelling with inventive staging and design.
“This show started as a conceptual piece called Something In the Mail as a part of Verb Theatre's 2016 Experiment lab. By 2020, it took on new life and evolved into the The Starling Effect. This is our company's first world premiere since 2022, and represents an exciting time for us as we continue to bolster new, Calgarian work that challenges audiences and pushes the envelope of what you can expect from independent theatre,” added Smith.
The production also marks the first collaboration between Verb Theatre and emerging collective Reckless Daughter Creative, bringing together a dynamic team of artists to premiere this bold new work.
More on Vertigo Theatre
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