In this multifaceted work in progress showing, tree hugging takes on an entirely new meaning
There is a birch tree in Katie’s garden. It has been there since before she was born. This tree has seen her grow up. She has spoken to it, dressed it up in the winter, confessed her innermost thoughts to its tall, sender branches. Katie is in love with this tree. Like, actually in love with it.
An ecosexual if you must, Katie feels a genuine connection to this tree that is unrivaled by any human. When Katie’s mom becomes concerned, she encourages Katie to get out a little bit more. Naturally, Katie begins dating.
Katie and Michael go on their first date in a crowded bar. In the taste of shrewd playwriting acumen, we know from the get go how their relationship progresses. It is through an exploration of the missing pieces that exist in their dating life that we begin to register why and how Katie has fallen in love with a tree. When an event threatens the very existence of Katie’s beloved, she feels she has no choice but to marry the birch tree. Soon, as we are told, Katie and the tree will both be dead.
Attempts on a Birch Tree challenges its audience to fall in love with a tree. While the concept may seem unthinkable, this production does a pretty decent job of convincing its audience of the benefits that await you in such an uncommon union. Each performance is specifically tailored to each individual audience by way of exiting multimedia elements. Production company I Am I Am does a great job of incorporating text and videography into this production in an illuminatingly fresh manner. While needing to turn away from the performance to see it in its fullest conception was a slight inconvenience, it did not detract from the experience as a whole.
Georgie Dettmer’s writing feels delicate and introspective. Riddled with humor and complex narratives, Dettmer somehow keeps the audience on their toes even once we are completely aware of how the show will end. Performances by Morgan Beale as Michael and Adam and Dettmer as Katie Hastings were delightful. The two shared a perfectly awkward chemistry that amplified the production’s overarching message of unconventional love and the looming threat of the climate crises.
Attempts on a Birch Tree is on at this year’s Bloomsbury New Wave Festival and is well worth the watch.