Looking for some good inexpensive fun this Fall?    Back by POPULAR demand! Hell in a Handbag Productions is proud to present a re-imagined remount of one of their most popular shows, their adaptation of The Birds.

A  wonderfully entertaining cast! Comedy, drag, excitement and more!

The Birds is both a ridiculous parody of the classic Hitchcock film and a look inside the mind of lead actress, Tippi Hedren.  Camille Paglia, author and American social critic, serves as your guide in this odyssey and there’s a touch of David Lynch thrown in for good measure.

The space, The Coach House at Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd. (Sheridan and Granville), is so charming and perfect! From the moment you walk in, the fun begins. Mr. Hitchcocks assistants meet you in the main house and walk you back to the coach house,  which is the set of The Birds. You get to witness  the “filming”  of the Birds movie, but also get a sneak peak into what being on set, might have been like.

Meet newcomer, Tippi Hedren. Famed director, Alfred Hitchcock, has hand-picked her to star in the much anticipated follow-up to his smash hit film, Psycho.  This film was to be called The Birds and it seemed like it would be a dream come true for any up and coming actress.  And for a while it was…until it wasn’t.

Catherine McCafferty returns as fledgling actress, Tippi Hedren, whose journey begins her first day playing blonde socialite, Melanie Daniels.  Melanie pursues the very dashing bachelor/lawyer, Mitchell Brenner, after a chance meeting in a pet shop.  She secretly follows Mitch to Bodega Bay, a sleepy Oceanside town in Northern California. Melanie’s arrival marks the beginning of a series of bird attacks on the town. Movie history is about to be made.

Off camera, Alfred Hitchcock’s seemingly innocent interest in Ms. Hedren grew daily and he began teaching her film making. Unfortunately, what started as a brilliant director taking a novice under his wing suddenly turned into a harrowing experience for the naïve actress. Ms. Hedren experienced a terror far greater than any bird attack.  We learn Alfred Hitchcock had a  ravenous appetite for blondes and really sort of sexually harassed  Hedren! In fact in 2012,  HBO made THE GIRL  which focused on Hitchcocks obsession  with Hedrin!

While The Birds receives the full parody/homage treatment audiences have come to expect from Hell in a Handbag, the story takes a dark turn going inside the mind of Tippi Hedren who, as filming progresses, has trouble distinguishing the movie’s reality from her own.

Handbag ensemble members Ed Jones, Alex Grelle, Michael Hampton, Michael S. Miller, Lori Lee, Steve Love, Lolly Extract, Amber Marsh, and David Cerda are part of the large cast of characters. Also returning to the cast from 2013 are Steve Kimbrough (POSEIDON!) and Jamie Smith (Christmas Dearest).  All the guys  who perform as  ladies, are just a riot of laughs!

Newcomers include Chazie Bly taking on the role of Mitchell Brenner/Rod Taylor, Lauren Miller as Peggy Robertson, the steely assistant to Mr. Hitchcock, Caitlin Coleman, and Christea Parent (Caged Dames) as Camille Paglia.

Handbag ensemble member, Cheryl Snodgrass (HAYWIRE!, Die! Mommie, Die!, The Rip Nelson Halloween Spooktacular, SCARRIE -The Musical, Límitation of Life) directs this year. “The Birds was my favorite film growing up so it feels like kismet to direct The Birds, my favorite Handbag script” says Snodgrass. “There are some big surprises in this year’s production, too While we’re still using Lake Michigan as Bodega Bay and Berger Park for the bird attacks, the newly renovated Coach House has inspired brilliant new concepts from the design team.  More birds.  More fun. Even if you’ve seen Handbag’s The Birds before – you have never seen anything like this one.”

Endorsed by none other than Ms. Tippi Hedren herself, The Birds stands out as one of Handbag’s most critically acclaimed and memorable shows. The environmental staging at the Coach House in Berger Park on Lake Michigan makes it a unique experience you won’t soon forget.

All Show times: 7:30 Admission: $17-$37

Matinee performances Oct. 18 and 25, 3pm

Hell in a Handbag Mission Statement

HIAH is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music, and homage.

Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit Corporation.

All photos by Rick Aguilar Studios.