Stupid F##king Bird

The Seagull, Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov’s take on life, love and artistic integrity, was first produced in 1896. Almost 120 years later, playwright and director Aaron Posner has adapted the show for modern audiences and named it Stupid F##king Bird. With brief nudity, copious swearing and audience participation, Bird was hailed the best Chekhov adaptation in two decades by LA Weekly.

Directed at Stages Repertory Theatre by Kenn McLaughlin, Bird follows the story of an aspiring playwright, Con, based on The Seagull’s Konstantin Treplev, who is in love with his play’s leading lady. His mother is an aging actress, and his mother’s lover is a famous writer. No one is content, however, and this unfulfilled artistic boredom lends itself to some great speeches about art. “[Con] struggles with how to produce theater that speaks deeply to an audience,” says McLaughlin. “He’s the idealist who has his one big dream shattered by the end of the play, and his journey is heartbreaking.” Hailed as honest and creative wherever it is produced, Stupid F##king Bird is an exciting way of proving you’re up on your Chekhov.

7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. Through April 12. Stages Repertory Theatre, 3201 Allen Parkway. For information, call 713-527-0123 or visit stagestheatre.com. $19 to $65.

Sundays; Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Starts: March 18. Continues through April 12, 2015