Stupid Fucking Bird is a contemporary adaptation of Anton Chekhov's 1896 play The Seagull, written by American playwright Aaron Posner, co-founder of the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia.
According to Howard Shalwitz, the play takes a satirical spin on a theatrical classic, but has the essence of Chekhov's original intent for the piece—what it means to create art.
While directing another production at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, a friend of Posner remarked that the actors cast in the show would be ideal for a Chekhov play.
The draft was tested when Posner, the director, and the actors were invited to Lake George Theatre Lab in Upstate New York.
Act I begins shortly before a theatrical presentation that Con is putting on at his mother's country home, in which his flighty girlfriend Nina is playing the lead.
Breaking the fourth wall, Con addresses the audience, informing them that, in the original adaptation of the script, this is where his character finally kills himself.
[2] Stupid Fucking Bird has been produced several times: The Economist published their review on August 9, 2014: "The script is new and crackling, at once incisive, poignant and darkly funny.
The review also celebrates the fact that the play was able to be revamped for the present day, while still maintaining the essence of Chekhov's iconic story.
[40] This is the original cast and creative team that performed the premiere of the show at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in 2013.