The Dodo Bird
Road Less Traveled Productions will present the drama The Dodo Bird, by Emmanuel Fried, at the Road Less Traveled Theatre, inside the Market Arcade Film & Arts Center, 671 Main St, Buffalo NY: Friday, September 8th through Sunday, October 8th.
The Dodo Bird is a man who should not exist. Constantly inebriated, it seems miraculous that he somehow manages to survive and eke out a living at the local steel mill. One afternoon, factory tough guy Bull Blatter walks into the local watering hole, sizes up the Dodo, and decides to make him extinct. What follows is a battle of wills: does Dodo have the strength to stand up for himself? Is there anything left in his life worth fighting for?
This production of The Dodo Bird launches Road Less Traveled Productions’ three-year retrospective of the works of beloved Buffalo playwright Emmanuel Fried. Planned future productions include A Piece of Cake and Mishpawcha.
Emmanuel Fried is Buffalo’s oldest living playwright and possibly its most well-respected. Early in his career, he studied acting in New York City with The Group Theatre and performed in dozens of Broadway productions, including The Young Go First (directed by Elia Kazan) and Having A Wonderful Time (starring John Garfield).
But Fried is perhaps best known nationally as a prominent and influential union leader. As Labor Organizer w/ United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers, Mr. Fried was the international representative for WNY’s 30,000 union members for fourteen years. This experience inspired the body of Mr. Fried’s work as a playwright; that work has been produced all over North America, including numerous productions in New York City and locally in Western New York.
In Western New York, Fried has acted for a variety of theaters including Irish Classical Theatre Company, Theatre of Youth, Theatre For Change, Shakespeare in the Park, Musicalfare, and most recently Studio Arena Theater (LORT) in the much-acclaimed production of Tuesdays With Morrie. Fried has been honored with various theater awards including: the Helen Mintz WNY Play Contest (Buffalo Ensemble Theater) for the play Mishpawcha; Individual Artist Award from the Buffalo Arts Council and the Greater Buffalo Chamber of Commerce for his lifetime contribution to the arts; and Artie Award for Best Actor from the Artvoice Entertainment Weekly for his performance in Visiting Mr. Green. Mr. Fried is presently an English Professor Emeritus (Creative Writing) at Buffalo State College.
RLTP’s production of The Dodo Bird stars WNY theatre giants Gerry Maher, Greg Natale, Dan Walker, and Jermaine Cooper under the direction of Scott Behrend. The production is supported by stage manager Susan Lukasz Dickinson; costume designer Maura Price; lighting designer John Rickus; and sound designer John Shotwell.
Performance Times
Performances are:
Friday, September 8th @ 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 9th @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, September 10th @ 2:00 PM
Thursday, September 14th @ 8:00 PM
Friday, September 15th @ 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 16th @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, September 17th @ 2:00 PM
Thursday, September 21st @ 8:00 PM
Friday, September 22nd @ 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 23rd @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, September 24th @ 2:00 PM
Thursday, September 28th @ 8:00 PM
Friday, September 29th @ 8:00 PM
Saturday, September 30th @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, October 1st @ 2:00 PM
Thursday, October 5th @ 8:00 PM
Friday, October 6th @ 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 7th @ 8:00 PM
Sunday, October 8th @ 2:00 PM (Final Performance)
Tickets
General Admission
$25.00
Students & Seniors
$20.00
Ticket information
(716) 629-3069
Group Ticket Sales sbehrend@adelphia.net
FREE Thursday Night Student Series
To further RLTP’s commitment to generate new audiences in the theater community, RLTP is offering a FREE Thursday Night Series for both of our productions this season.
Any student 18 and over with valid student ID will receive free admission to any Thursday night performance.
Location: Performances will be held at:
Road Less Traveled Theatre
(Inside the Market Arcade Film & Arts Center)
671 Main Street
Buffalo NY 14201
Lighted, fenced parking is available next to the building. Street-side parking is also available.
The Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre's address is actually 639 Main Street (and the zip, for what that's worth in this context, is 14203).
I saw this production Saturday night. It was well acted, thoughtful and I highly recommend it.
Great play! My dad and I saw the Sunday matinee and we both enjoyed it. Two thumbs up!
Manny Fried is the working man's Mark Twain of Buffalo, New York. His work will be recorded in history as being worthy of the highest merit for it's honesty and truthfulness in play writing of the Buffalo Industrial experience and of the worthiness in protecting worker humanity.
We are often exposed to down state New York City experience and it's culture but I know of no other play writer that has lived or is living in Buffalo that has captured the esssence of the working people that suffered so much to improve this community both finacially, as well as culturally by the sweat of their labor and by their stuggle to keep their dignity and pride.
In my opinion I have been enriched to have met somebody named Emanual Fried. Mr. Fried is in the same league as the greatest dramatic playwriters from Sophocles to Shakespear to Miller.
All praise and respect to Manny Fried one of the greatest American play writers of this century who resides within the City of Buffalo. Honor the greatness of Buffalo by honoring the writing of Emanual Fried. Buffalo school children should be taught his plays and told his life story. To be an American is to read and see performances of Fried's plays and to learn about how he suffered during the McCarthy witch hunts in Buffalo.
We in Buffalo have been made better because of Manny Fried's existence. He is one of the most significant teachers that I have ever studied under and has made a lasting impression upon me that has only been most highly benifitial and thought provoking.
My words do not do him justice.
Thank You Sir Fried. May these words bring you a smile and more good years of creativity and health.
One Bravo leads to two Bravos and then to three Bravos and than Four and your wanting to praise some more.