THE BIRD IS DONE to Make Developmental Debut at Theater for the New City

What happens when a family gathers for Thanksgiving hoping to bury old grudges, only to discover that some wounds run deeper than anyone imagined? 'The Bird Is Done' by Michael Fishman, a new family dramedy, serves up a holiday feast of combustible personalities, long-simmering resentments, uncomfortable revelations and unexpected tenderness.

The piece will be presented as a work-in-progress reading by Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave., on Monday, November 9 at 7:00 PM. Admission is free; donations are appreciated.

Set in the cluttered Upper West Side apartment of eighty-year-old Anna Morino, the play imagines a family celebrating Thanksgiving together for the first time in two years. Anna, a grandmother and the family matriarch, is determined to make the holiday a genuine reunion. But the holiday preparations quickly become a battleground of competing loyalties, old disappointments and clashing values.

Anna's son-in-law Frank, a proud and stubborn family elder, has never forgiven his daughter, Stephanie, for abandoning the household after a bitter confrontation. When his youngest son, Adam, is arrested for a frat prank gone wrong, it becomes another source of friction. The dinner table turns into a forum for accusations, defenses and uncomfortable truths. Another son, Max, arrives with his outspoken girlfriend, Simone, adding another complication: her presence exposes prejudices that Frank would rather not acknowledge.

Yet beneath the bickering lies a family struggling to find its way back to one another. As the evening unfolds, long-hidden insecurities emerge, old memories soften hardened attitudes, and the possibility of reconciliation begins to take hold. Can people learn to listen to one another before it is too late?

Fishman's play balances recognizable family dysfunction with serious reflection on regret, forgiveness and life's unpredictable turns. Its emotional undercurrents are informed by the playwright's own experience of loss within his family. Without abandoning its warmth or spirit, 'The Bird Is Done' explores how suddenly the ordinary business of living can be transformed--and how much can remain unsaid until an opportunity to speak is gone.

The reading features a distinguished cast of stage and screen performers. Marilyn Chris, who plays Anna, appeared on Broadway in 'Brighton Beach Memoirs,' 'Lenny' and 'The Birthday Party,' and received multiple awards for her performance in Allen Ginsberg's 'Kaddish.' TV audiences know her for her eighteen-year portrayal of Wanda Webb Wollek on 'One Life to Live.'

Mitch Poulos, who plays Frank, has appeared in the first national tour of 'Billy Elliot' and in numerous regional productions. His television and film credits include 'FBI: Most Wanted,' 'Chicago Fire,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' 'Blue Bloods' and 'Arrested Development.' He played Santa opposite Kelsey Grammer in 'The 12 Days of Christmas Eve.'

Liz Keifer, who plays Martha, is widely recognized for her long-running role as Christina “Blake” Marler on 'The Guiding Light,' which she played from 1992 until the series ended in 2009. Her extensive TV credits include 'Cheers,' 'Law & Order,' 'Blue Bloods' and several other daytime dramas. Her stage work includes 'Follies,' 'Company,' 'A Little Night Music' and 'The Music Man.'

The younger characters are played by Sean Hodges (as Max), Jaz Astwood (as Simone) and Julian Shatkin (as Adam).

'The Bird Is Done' is Fishman's first play. He holds an M.A. in Film from American University and has worked for Tribeca Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival and Columbia University's Film Division. His documentary film, 'Stamp Show,' was nominated for Best Documentary at the Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema in 2018. His short documentary 'Seth Fishman: The Real Thing,' about his older brother, a visual artist who died young, is screening at film festivals this November.

The reading is directed by Jim Semmelman. He is a director, producer and author with more than 30 years' experience in theater, TV and film. His recent work includes Theater for the New City's production in January, 2025 of 'The Giggling Granny' by Marsha Lee Sheiness, a bioplay about serial killer Nannie Doss. Expertly played by Marilyn Chris, the performance drew cheering audiences and glowing reviews, earning a return engagement the same season.

The title, 'The Bird Is Done,' carries the promise of a holiday meal finally ready to be served. But in this family's kitchen, as in life, the most consequential revelations may arrive when no one is prepared for them.