The Brother and the Bird by Alissa Nutting

Adapted for the stage by Shaking the Tree
Directed by Samantha Van Der Merwe
April 20th - May 18th 2024
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"The Brother and the Bird" by Alissa Nutting first appeared in My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales edited by Kate Bernheimer (Penguin Books, 2010).

Images by Rick Liu

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What People are Saying

"I’ve seen a lot of extraordinary theatre at Shaking the Tree. This spine-tingling production just might be the best so far."
-Krista Garver, Broadway World
Read the full review HERE

"If you see one play about loss and rebirth this spring, The Brother and the Bird should be it."
-Suzette Smith, Portland Mercury
Read the full review HERE

"Likely the most deliriously stunning visual-artwork you will see in Portland this year."
​-Jae Carlson

"A magnificent piece of theatre."

​"A visual treasure."

"What a gorgeous and fantastically creepy show!"

"An absolute triumph...This is a stunning, disturbing, and altogether superb piece of theatre."

"Don't sleep on the latest audiovisual masterpiece by Shaking the Tree Theatre."

​"I attended The Brother and the Bird last night and it was a beautiful and overwhelming experience."

"No exaggeration, it may be the coolest concept & most exciting interactive theater I've ever seen with my own eyeballs."

"The thrill that I felt walking into the space to find that huge table set was unlike anything I’ve experienced in a theatre in a very long time. The precision that you and the actors brought to the shadow sequences was masterful. And I loved how you kept the audience walking a tightrope, never sure if we should laugh or cry."
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"This is stunning work -- visceral and funny and startling and sad -- often all at the same time.
It is what theatre can do that no other form can quite pull off. Congratulations to all of you -- wonderful cast, fabulous score as well as very effective use of film and video."
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"The way this play isolates and engages the senses is theater at a whole new level!"

"I don't have words for how wonderful this show is. I knew walking in and seeing that banquet table that we were in for an amazing night. The silhouette work, acting, directing, film, everything was a complete gift. Thank you."
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​"Another dark fairytale hits the stage this spring, courtesy of one of Portland's most exciting theater companies Shaking the Tree." -Suzette Smith, Portland Mercury's Spring Arts Guide
Read the full write up HERE (Scroll down to the Theatre & Performance section)

"As anyone who went to a live show this year knows, local audiences were treated to an abundance of [such] unforgettable productions in 2024...Like Briana Ratterman Trevithick’s stunningly brave and raw performance in Shaking the Tree Theatre’s The Brother and the Bird, in which she raged like a Category 5 hurricane, while standing barefoot on the dining room table around which the audience sat."

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About The Juniper Tree by the Brothers Grimm

The Juniper Tree unfolds with the hopeful anticipation of a childless couple longing for a family. Yet, when their fervent wish is granted and a son is born, tragedy strikes as the mother's overwhelming joy leads to her untimely demise. Honoring her final wish, she is laid to rest beneath the Juniper Tree. However, the father's remarriage brings a sinister turn, as his new wife's jealousy of her stepson gives way to a descent into darkness. What ensues is a chilling saga of deception, violence, and vengeance, challenging the possibility of a happily ever after.

Originally penned by the Brothers Grimm and collected in their "Children’s and Household Tales," "The Juniper Tree" is a cornerstone of German folklore. Initially criticized for its unsuitability for children due to its grisly content, the tale stands as a testament to the Grimm Brothers' unflinching portrayal of human nature. Notorious for its macabre themes of cannibalism and murder, "The Juniper Tree" remains a haunting reminder of the darker facets of fairy tales.

My mother, she killed me, 
My father, he ate me,
My sister, she saved my bones,
Tied them in a silken scarf,
Laid them beneath the juniper tree
tweet, tweet…

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About The Brother and the Bird by Alissa Nutting

In Alissa Nutting's adaptation of the Grimm fairy tale "The Juniper Tree", key elements of the original story are preserved while offering a fresh perspective. The stepmother is portrayed as a cleaning fanatic who instills fear, and the father is depicted as loving yet distant, mourning his first wife. In this retelling, the mother still performs heinous acts and coerces her daughter into assisting with concealing them, but magical events begin to unfold under the juniper tree, and as in most fairy tales, justice finally prevails. Does the daughter descend into madness, or are the mysterious flapping noises and disturbing radio broadcasts more of the magic of the tree? Nutting's adaptation maintains the tale's timeless themes while adding complexity and a hint of melancholy, capturing the essence of classic fairy tales with captivating storytelling.

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Cast

Marlene Sammy Rat Rios
​Mother Briana Ratterman Trevithick
Voice of the Storyteller Vana O'Brien

Sammy Rat Rios

Briana Ratterman Trevithick

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Creative

Director & Set Designer Samantha Van Der Merwe
Stage Manager Natasha Stockem
Dramaturg Pancho Savery
Music Director/Composer Sammy Rat Rios
Lighting Designer Abby Jaquin
Sound Designer Matt Wiens
Costume Designer Paige A. Hanna 
Film Creation Ethan Van Der Merwe
Video Engineer Jared Jonas
Technical Director Nate Raphael
Master Carpenter/ Scenic Painter Harrison Fonk
Front of House Manager Kai Hynes

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The Brother and the Bird is generously supported by our major donors; Ronni Lacroute, Jessie Jonas, Anonymous, and Ellyn Bye. We'd also like to thank the foundations listed below, members of Shaking the Tree's Board, as well as many other individual supporters. To support this show, or any others in our season, please visit our SUPPORT page.