The Chickens Have Come Home to Roost is a drama told through poetry and puppetry following the inner life of a woman, Angie, as personified by her pet bird, Birdie. After a sexual encounter with a man, one where the participants’ actions are questionable and difficult to judge, the relationship between pet and owner quickly morphs when Birdie gains the ability to speak. Together, Angie and Birdie are forced to look at the encounter and journey into Angie’s past to discover how they can exist in the present. This one-act psychological thriller poses the question: what does consent look like? This piece is part of a continued effort to destigmatize survivors’ experiences, build greater understanding around how trauma functions, and initiate crucial conversations about consent. “Chickens…” challenges the audience to step out of a me vs. you dynamic and grapple with the gray area that exists within sexual encounters; actions that cross the line even when they can not be criminally categorized. These experiences are often overlooked - casually swept under the rug - yet have lasting impacts. We are asking the audience to wrestle with the gravity of these issues and bear witness to the perplexing emotional aftermath that follows.

Image by Pablo Calderón-Santiago, August 2021