‘The Birds’ at Cabrillo Playhouse

OC Theatre Guild
2 hours ago
5 min read

Paranoia, human nature and potential societal collapse are explored as the sky rains down birds.

From left, Lauren Belt, Zack Mallgrave and Mimi Franks. Photo courtesy of Eric Modyman

By Anne Reid

When the birds attack, the real danger isn’t outside – it’s inside the house.

In “The Birds,” a stage adaptation of the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock film, strangers take refuge from a relentless, unexplained wave of bird attacks. But as the threat closes in, the play shifts its focus from external horror to something more unsettling: what happens when fear begins to fracture the people forced to survive together.

Adapted by Conor McPherson from Daphne du Maurier’s short story, the production opens this spring at Cabrillo Playhouse, offering a stripped-down, psychological take on a story audiences think they already know. Rather than relying on spectacle, the production leans into tension, atmosphere and the fragile dynamics between people under pressure.

For director Eric Modyman, the birds themselves are only the beginning. “They’re not really seen,” he said. “They’re more of a catalyst. It’s really about how we become when society falls apart.” That perspective shapes a production that unfolds slowly and uncomfortably, focusing on the emotional and psychological unraveling inside the house.

The project also marks a significant shift for Modyman, who has built his reputation locally on comedy. A steady presence at Cabrillo Playhouse since 2015, he is known for delivering polished, entertaining productions. But after years of working in the same genre, he said he was ready to take a creative risk.

From left, Mimi Franks, Zack Mallgrave, Jae LaRosa and Lauren Belt. Photo courtesy of Eric Modyman

“I’ve spent the majority of my career doing comedy,” he said. “People had seen me doing the same things over and over, and I felt recycled.”

A longtime fan of horror, Modyman saw “The Birds” as an opportunity to challenge both himself and his audience. When the theater decided to produce the play, he pitched a darker, more atmospheric vision, one that diverges sharply from his usual work. The company, familiar with his consistency, was willing to trust that shift.

“They’ve seen me direct every year for a while now,” he said. “So when I said I wanted to do this, they trusted me enough to let me try something new.”

That trust, according to Cabrillo Playhouse Artistic Director Michael Lopez, is well earned. “He’s one of those directors who just gets it done,” Lopez said. “If he takes on a project, he’ll adjust. He really knows his stuff.”

In McPherson’s version, the story unfolds almost entirely inside a single house, where strangers Nat, Diane and Julia take shelter as the attacks escalate. With no explanation for the violence and no clear path to safety, the outside world becomes unknowable and the real tension shifts inward.

For Modyman, that claustrophobic dynamic is the heart of the play. “All the characters are sort of stuck together, slowly going insane,” he said. “That felt very familiar.” Drawing on the shared experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, the production taps into a more recent collective memory in which uncertainty, confinement and fear became part of everyday life. As a result, the story resonates not just as horror but as a study of coexistence under pressure.

From left, Lauren Belt and Jae LaRosa. Photo courtesy of Eric Modyman

That idea is reflected in every aspect of the production’s design. Rather than attempting to stage flocks of attacking birds, the creative team has built an environment that feels as though it is already falling apart. The set presents a house in visible decline, with peeling wallpaper, stained surfaces, boarded-up windows and walls marked with cryptic messages. Nothing feels secure or stable. “I’m going for something grimy, gross, deteriorated,” Modyman said. “Not clean and crisp.”

Lighting reinforces that instability. Instead of evenly illuminating the space, shadows dominate, obscuring parts of the set and leaving others only partially revealed. Corners disappear into darkness, and subtle movement in the lighting creates a sense that something is always shifting just out of sight. “There are creepy spaces where someone could be hiding,” Modyman said. “We try to keep the lights moving so there’s always this feeling that something is happening.”

Sound design plays an equally critical role in building tension. In place of the upbeat or thematic music that has characterized many of Modyman’s past productions, this show relies on an unsettling soundscape built around a low, continuous drone. The sound is layered with wingbeats, fragments of radio transmissions and distant cries, creating a constant sense of unease. “Usually I have bright, fun music,” he said. “This one is just an ominous drone of birds, radio and someone crying out.”

The result is an immersive experience designed to keep the audience on edge. Rather than showing the threat directly, the production makes it feel ever-present, just beyond reach. “I want the audience to feel like if they look at the stage, they’ll get attacked,” Modyman said.

For Cabrillo Playhouse, “The Birds” offers a departure from the lighter fare that often fills community theater seasons. Its recognizable title, however, has already sparked strong interest among audiences. “I remember the movie and being terrified as a kid,” Lopez said. “Whenever I see it on TV, I still get scared.” That familiarity has helped build anticipation for the production, which balances that recognition with a fresh approach. “There’s name recognition, and everybody seems to be anticipating it,” Lopez said. “I think our audiences will love it.”

While the production incorporates the playhouse’s new technical elements, including updated lighting capabilities, the show remains grounded in character. One of Modyman’s favorite moments is a birthday scene that briefly interrupts the tension, allowing the characters to reclaim a sense of normalcy. “It’s very lively and fun,” he said. “It’s a moment of humanity. It’s not just a serious, depressing play where everybody dies.” That moment of relief, however, is short-lived. As the situation deteriorates, relationships inside the house begin to shift. Trust becomes conditional, alliances form and dissolve and the emotional stakes rise alongside the danger outside.

From left, Mini Franks, Lauren Belt. Photo courtesy of Eric Modyman

The production builds toward a confrontation between Julia and Diane. It’s a moment Modyman describes as a breaking point. “There’s a very tense moment where someone is going to snap,” he said. “It’s a big, dramatic showdown.”

Casting the show brought both familiarity and new collaboration. Modyman reunites with Jay Lorosa, whom he previously directed in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Much Ado About Nothing,” while working with several actors for the first time. “I’m very excited to work with them," he said. “I’m really impressed with what they’re doing.”

For Lopez, even discovering the play was part of the process. “I didn’t even know there was a play,” he said. “I got the script, did some research and fell in love with it.” That enthusiasm is shared across the production team, even as they recognize that the show may surprise audiences expecting something more traditional. “People are going to be very surprised and excited about this show,” Lopez said.

For Modyman, that reaction is exactly what he hopes to achieve. While the birds may draw audiences in, they are not the true focus of the story. They are simply the inciting force, the disruption that sets everything in motion.

As the walls close in and the outside world becomes more dangerous, the real question is no longer what is happening beyond the windows but what is happening within them. In this version of “The Birds,” the terror is not just in the attack, it’s in the unraveling.