Jiehae Park’s Swirling/Peaceful Pool Queries Age/Youth

by Barry David Horwitz

“the aves” is a rare bird among plays. Set in a lovely park, complete with a beautiful moving pool of water, with floating lily pads and moss, it’s hard to focus on just one thing. But when we do, we plunge into a meditative experience from a bird’s eye point of view and watch old and young couples on an elegant, marble park bench.

Rather than precise characters, they stand for all of us as we grow and age and question our lives. We become ‘the aves”: we are the birds, the “farewells,” the passing petals on the pond. We welcome the ingenious, talking pigeon puppets that discuss the oddness of humans. As Old Man (Bill Buell) and Old Woman (Mia Katigbak) sit on the bench at the edge of the water, they comically raise mundane topics: the weather, the seasons, pigeons versus doves, the lost past, and a decision that could change their lives.

We try to make sense of their feelings, their failures, their 50 years of partnership, but the playwright holds back precise information, plunging us into worlds of speculation. What are they debating, these two charming old folks on a bench in a fairy tale park. Is this the Garden of Eden grown old? Is this a warning about our future? Are there any answers, or can we just enjoy the magnificent park setting?

Soon the rains fall, the seasons change, and an engaging Young Woman (Laakan McHardy) appears on the bench with Old Man. Their discussion reveals that she may be the reincarnated version of Old Woman. Their cryptic exchange intrigues and puzzles. Did she have an amazing rebirth? At what cost?

Our heightened awareness of each moment, each careful movement, and every word creates a fugue state where all the details take on magical, predictive meaning. The future looms just beyond the next revelation.

When vigorous Young Man (Daniel Croix) jogs down the wooden boardwalk in front of the bench, we get a whole new burst of energy and hope. Surely this athletic young fellow in shorts will reveal more about the strange, limitless world. But the boy needs to be comforted, and the girl has questions. They are charming, seductive—and mysteries to be plumbed.

They each engage in discussions about weather, wisdom, birds—sometimes we cannot figure out who is who and how they could be talking to each other if they are replacements for the older couple. It’s a constant challenge, made comfortable by the ordinary daily conversation, and the jogging that calls the younger folk.

Even the visiting birds, amazing puppets, have a chat—they establish a bond between people and animals. The whole experience is unlike any other—birds, light, seasons–all mysteries to unravel. The superb actors draw us in—making their lives our own. Playwright Park’s poetic visit across many seasons revives our forgotten feelings and our dreams. Nature provides.

“the aves” by Jiehae Park, directed by Knud Adams, scenic design by Marsha Ginsberg, costumes by Haydee Zelideth, lighting by Masha Tsimring, sound by DJ Potts, at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Info: berkeleyrep.org – to June 8, 2025.

Cast: Bill Buell, Mia Katigbak, Laakan McHardy, Daniel Croix, Eloise Cheves, & Róisín McCarthy.

Banner photo: Bill Buell & Mia Katigbak. Photo: Knud Adams