Birds of Paradise at Theater for the New City

Daniel Pavacic, Marisa Gold, Peter Tarantino and Abigail Grizzle star in this play by Claude Solnik, directed by Jim Keeler, about a pivotal time in American history. A happy family who runs a store and the family's best friend struggle to retain normalcy and happiness during the Great Depression, while all around them the financial collapse threatens to disrupt their way of life. Birds of Paradise shows how, despite love, goodwill, and best intentions, it's difficult if not impossible to escape the destructive effects of what goes on around us. We watch financial pressures bring out both the best and the flaws in each character in this play about love, struggle, and survival in dire circumstances set against the backdrop of American history.