The Mermaid Players have chosen The Conference of the Birds as their spring semester play.

The play is based on the 12th century Sufi poem about the search for the divine and was written by Farid Uddi Attar. Its original production was by Peter Brook, theatre director.

“After performing a surrealistic musical in last semester’s Spitfire Grill, the Mermaid Players chose to transition to a dance, theatre, storytelling fable for this semester’s piece,” said Karen Lordi-Kirkham, professor of Theater and Dance.

“We started planning for this play last spring,” said Lordi-Kirkham.

The play will feature professional local musician, Janet Spahr, playing live music with Assistant Professor of French Ian MacDonald on percussion. The production will use masks and puppets designed by Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance, Harper-McCombs, and Professor Benjamin Farrar will be on lighting and set.

“I will be playing my own original music for the play- some improvised, along with some composed pieces. I will be using a variety of instruments, including my handpans, shruti box, Freenotes, djembe, perhaps flute,” said Janet Spahr.

Spahr has also performed in the Dickinson production of Caucasian Chalk Circle in spring 2011.

“Both Janet and I have backgrounds in musical improvisation and our collaboration will be highly responsive to the needs of the performance,” said MacDonald,

MacDonald includes various instruments in his improvisations such as the Darbuka, Surdo, bells, whistles, chimes, shakers and rattles of various kinds.

The play highlights Harper-McComb’s mask making after coming back from Arezzo, Italy for sabbatical and Accademia Dell’ Arte.

Sixteen Mermaid Players are performing and their expected turnout is 150 people per night.

The play focuses on a group of birds searching for god and the meaning of life. Major themes within the play include the focus of the journey and not the destination. Other themes are community and common goal.

“The birds symbolize humans and have qualities much like humans, like the proud peacock and the strong falcon,” said Lordi-Kirkham.

Rehearsals started Monday Feb. 18.

“The first few rehearsals have been very group focused, interacting with each other and improvising,” said Gwyneth van Son ’13, a performer.

“It has been really fun to work with physicality and moving through space, trying to embody birds with out being too indicative,” said Holly Kelly ’15, a performer.

”I really feel that we’re redefining what the performance space is, taking it to the audience, really encouraging engagement in the story,” said Georgia Streitman ’15, a performer.

Show times are Friday April 5 (8pm), Saturday April 6 (8pm), Monday April 8 (8pm) and Tuesday April 9 (8pm). The show will be in the Mather’s Theatre in the Holland Union Building and tickets cost $7 for Regular Admission and $5 for Student Admission.

The Mermaid Players are also working on Rapture Blister Burn, which are senior projects and are planning for their next play to be Molière, a Classic of Shakespeare.