The Squirrel Plays: Infestation, Compensation, Eradication – Play – Mirror Stage

Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): The Squirrel Plays – Infestation, Compensation, Eradication by Mia McCullough w/ Mirror Stage at 12th Ave Arts. Allegory on government/politics. It was fun guessing what each thing symbolized. Probably the best opening performance reception spread I’ve seen! #play #symbolism #symbolic

Synopsis from the Theatre: Tom and Sarah finally find the suburban house of their dreams with probably the nicest garden on the market. Everything is blissful, until an unwanted squirrel gets trapped in the attic, interrupting their lives and causing a rift in their marriage. Once an exterminator, the neighborhood association, and animal control all get involved, violence and turmoil unsettle the entire subdivision.

Reviewed Performance: 4/30/23 Opening Performance Matinee

Type: 3 connected consecutive plays

World Premiere: No but USA premiere

Several or Few Scenes: Several

Several or Few Settings: Few – Around three settings

Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: None

Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes

Recommendation: See it if you like exploring symbolism in live theatre or other art forms

Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show: Yes

Rating Compared to Other Shows with the Same Production Value:
4.25 stars (Out of 5 Stars)

Equity Actors: 0

Total Number of Actors: 6

Length (Including Any Intermission): It was 2.25 hours with a long 1st act and a shorter 2nd act. I suggest moving some material to the 2nd act.

Intermission: Yes

Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts

  • Symbolism: Halfway through the first act in a sudden epiphany, I finally realized what the squirrels represented. I scrambled to replay the previous scenes in my mind to gather any missed nuances. If I had the time, I would rewatch those scenes with my newly-opened eyes. However, later on, it felt like the playwright changed what squirrels represented. Whether or not this change was intentional, the squirrel symbolism seemed unsatisfactorily inconsistent. Other than squirrels, this play was full of other political symbols. It was fun guessing what each thing represented. But for the life of me, I still couldn’t successfully guess what the bird feeders meant. Leave a comment in my social media links below if you have any ideas!
  • Stagehands: The stagehands were costumed and in-character as home movers. I always appreciate when the technical crew does not stick out on-stage.

Rant(s)

  • Stage Curtain: It’s a shame they covered part of the stage when scenes weren’t occuring there. The stage looked much more complete with all the curtains open, and it would have made a better first impression to audience members walking into the theatre space. When half of the stage is covered, it looks awkward and incomplete.

Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)

  • Numerous Commentaries: The play has a lot to say politically but it needs to hone its focus more to avoid becoming a hodgepodge of random leftist ideas.
  • Ending (No Spoilers): While I appreciate the conclusiveness of the ending, it felt a little too clean and idealistic. The raised social issues aren’t neatly resolved with a bow in real life.
  • Sounds: There were scenes that felt a little too quiet. Maybe include more background noise. But what does suburbia sound like? Maybe rustling leaves or birds chirping? What non-musical background noise do they play in Desperate Housewives? The transitional music between scenes was appropriate though.

Theatre Company: Mirror Stage

Venue: 12th Avenue Arts

Venue Physical Address: 1620 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Price: Cheap

Ticket Affordability Options: Pay-what-you-can (PWYC) and 20 radical hospitality free tickets for every performance

Dates: April 27 to May 20, 2023

Seating: General Admission

Parking: Paid lot or paid street parking. Street parking is extremely limited since it’s Capitol Hill. Your best luck would be East of Cal Anderson Park on 11th or 12th Ave. Cheapest paid lots are on 11th Ave next to the park. I highly suggest parking far away or taking the bus since the lots are expensive in Capitol Hill.

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Other Video +/- Pictures: See pictures in video and under video by Michael Poggenburg

Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Emily Hoffman, Valerie Ryan Miller, Caitlin Frances Branston, Jason Marr and Serin Ngai . Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Valerie Ryan Miller and Jason Marr. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Caitlin Frances Branston, Serin Ngai and Jason Marr. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Emily Hoffman, Valerie Ryan Miller, Caitlin Frances Branston, Jason Marr and Serin Ngai . Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring [L to R] Valerie Ryan Miller and Jason Marr. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring Angie Bolton. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.
Mirror Stage, The Squirrel Plays, featuring Valerie Ryan Miller. Photo by Michael Poggenburg.