NHP alum Mat Smart’s newest comedy, A Black-Billed Cuckoo premieres at La Jolla Playhouse this September!

“The birding community is like a secret society — and once you join, all of a sudden it feels as though practically everyone you meet is a member.” Jonathan Soroff

The elusive black-billed cuckoo is notoriously difficult to find, even if you know what you’re looking for — and that’s precisely the bird Ruth has been looking for these past few years. Over 24 hours in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, a close-knit birding group is turned upside down when some of its members glimpse this rare bird and others don’t.

Award-winning playwright Mat Smart — known for his “intricate, delightful comic drama” storytelling (The New York Times) — introduces us to a fascinating community of people who revel in the idea that any given day might bring something they’ve never seen before.