A RARE BIRD
WORTH WAITING FOR

Mat Smart’s warm, funny new play finds that
what we’re searching for may matter less
than what we fail to see along the way

The cast of La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere production of A Black-billed Cuckoo

You don’t need to know a warbler from a woodpecker to get hooked by A Black-billed Cuckoo, Mat Smart’s funny, warm, and surprisingly sharp new play now having its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse.

Set over 24 hours in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, the story centers on five regulars drawn together by a shared obsession with birding. They show up with binoculars around their necks, chasing that subtle jolt that comes from spotting something rare.

Jo Garcia-Reger and Jeanine Serralles

For Ruth, one specific bird eclipses all others. She’s spent years trying to catch a glimpse of the black-billed cuckoo. When a few members of the group finally catch a fleeting sight of one, and others miss it entirely, the sting of disappointment leads to a far more candid afternoon than any of them anticipated.

Smart uses birdwatching as a clever lens for a group of people far better at tracking wildlife than seeing each other. These five have logged countless hours together in the field, yet massive blind spots remain. As the day wears on, secrets are leaked, alliances shift, and it becomes clear that Ruth’s drive to find this bird isn’t about adding a checkmark to a life list but is tied to a deep, unhealed loss.

Sally Wingert and Jeanine Serralles

With a wonderful friction, Jeanine Serralles gives Ruth a sharp, prickly defensiveness. Her grief is unmistakable, but so are her impatience and stubborn streak, and Serralles lets all of those edges show.

The ensemble around her moves with an air of long-standing friendship, including the easy ribbing, the unspoken shorthand, and the occasional annoyances. Sally Wingert brings a tart comic energy to Marje, the group’s self-appointed field commander; Jennifer Naimo gives unexpected depth to Tessa, the group’s abrasive, camera-toting photographer; and Samuel Stricklen earns some of the night’s biggest laughs as Ed, an eccentric longtime member of the group.

The cast

Jo Garcia-Reger is a standout as Sadie, the relative newcomer. She brings an open-hearted curiosity that provides access into this obsessive subculture. When Garcia-Reger sings a quick a cappella line mid-scene, it is one of the show’s most delicate, memorable surprises.

Director Shelley Butler understands the value of intimacy. She refuses to inflate a modest character study into grand theatrical posturing, which mirrors the script. Smart is drawn to the clumsy ways people navigate grief, friendship, and the slow process of rejoining the world after loss. The core metaphor is simple, but it hits home: sometimes we get so fixated on what we’re desperately trying to find that we completely overlook what’s standing right beside us. Therein lies the play’s deeply resonant message, neatly captured in a late line about birding etiquette: “Marje encourages us to take the time to really look before jumping to an ID. Otherwise we could miss a lot.”

That message hits as hard as it does because Smart never fails to incorporate humor. He lets it sit side by side with grief as opposed to using it to bypass the pain, creating a comedy with real emotional gravity.

Jeanine Serralles and Samuel Stricklen

The play’s spirit of quiet observation extends directly into the physical production inside the Mandell Weiss Forum. Wilson Chin’s scenic design, Philip Rosenberg’s lighting, and Bobby McElver’s layered soundscape create an inviting corner of Prospect Park, subtly guiding the audience to lean in and scan the environment alongside the cast. Before long, you find yourself paying considerably more attention to the trees than when you walked into the theater.

A Black-billed Cuckoo makes a persuasive case for paying closer attention—to birds, certainly, but more importantly to the people around us. In a theater landscape full of noise, there’s something deeply refreshing about a new play willing to operate on such a human scale. Smart doesn’t need to shout to make his point.

For an intelligent, funny, and genuinely affecting night at the theater, this world premiere is a gem. And unlike the bird everyone is chasing, you know exactly where to find it.

Sally Wingert, Samuel Stricklen and Jeanine Serralles

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photos by Rich Soublet II

A Black-billed Cuckoo
La Jolla Playhouse
Mandell Weiss Forum, 2910 La Jolla Village Dr. in La Jolla
Tue–Fri at 7:30; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 1 & 7
90 minutes, no intermission
ends on October 11, 2026
for tickets, call 858.550.1010 or visit La Jolla Playhouse

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Samuel Stricklen, Jennifer Naimo, Sally Wingert and Jeanine Serralles