THE WAITING GAME HAS WRINKLES
As Bette Davis’s sampler cushion said, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” We start to lose our memories. Our bodies start to ache as our strength and endurance fade. People that we love and care about die or move away.
Bill Buell
In the aves, now premiering at Berkeley Rep, playwright Jiehae Park invites us to sit with a question that has haunted humanity since the first wrinkle: If you could reverse the aging process, would you? The setup feels almost deceptively quaint — an older couple on a park bench by a pond, basking in the sunlight and saying very little. But under the surface of this placid tableau lies a slow-burning philosophical exercise in regret, longing, and the dubious promise of youth regained.
Bill Buell and Mia Katigbak
Directed by Knud Adams with an extremely light touch — arguably too light — this one-act drifts through time and perception without much narrative propulsion. Instead, we get a string of casual, often elliptical conversations between the aging and the young. The central tension isn’t just generational; it’s metaphysical.
Laakan McHardy and Daniel Croix
In Anytown, Anywhere sometime in the future, Bill Buell and Mia Katigbak play the older couple with a gentle presence. They speak like people who’ve said all they needed to say decades ago and now simply share space. Soon, Buell’s character is joined by his sprightly granddaughter (Laaken McHardy) and her friend (Daniel Croix), whose youth brings its own uncertainties; he still feels like he’s figuring out his whole life and is second guessing some of his decisions. He even comments on her grandfather’s perceived wisdom before heading for a jog. A meditation on aging begins to form — and then, a twist. Subtly, almost too subtly, something changes. The timeline seems to bend. Roles reverse. But blink, and you’ll miss it.
Bill Buell and Daniel Croix
Park’s writing is thoughtful and laced with wit, but the production unfolds at such a glacial pace, you may find yourself wondering if the play itself is slowly aging before your eyes. Transitions between characters’ physical and emotional transformations are so muted they border on imperceptible. While that might be the point — that aging and change creep up on us — it can also make for a frustrating night in the theater, especially if you’re trying to track who’s older, younger, or just metaphorically shifting.
Mia Katigbak, Laakan McHardy and Daniel Croix
Still, the production has undeniable charms. Marsha Ginsberg’s naturalistic set — complete with a real pond — is a minor marvel. The performances are uniformly solid, even when the material strands them in static scenes. And Park’s script, for all its hesitations, does tap into something honest about how we envy each other across the generational divide.
Mia Katigbak, Bill Buell and Daniel Croix
The Aves doesn’t offer clarity, just contemplation. Don’t expect big reveals or emotional catharsis — this is theater for those who like their sci-fi speculative and their drama more observational than operatic. In the end, Park doesn’t tell us whether trading wisdom for youth is a deal worth making. She just sits us on a bench and lets us wonder.
Laakan McHardy and Daniel Croix
photos by Ben Krantz Studio
the aves
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Peet’s Theatre, 2025 Addison Street @ Shattuck
ends on June 8, 2025
for tickets ($25–$134), call 510.647.2949 or visit Berkeley Rep
