Performance dates: Feb 21 – March 8, 2025
HOUSTON, TX — Kicking off 2025, Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. (DDTCo.) presents Blackbird, a gripping drama about the complexities of human connection, guilt, and redemption. Featuring razor-sharp dialogue and raw emotion, this award-winning play is written by David Harrower and directed by Malinda L. Beckham.
ABOUT THE PLAY
Ray, 56, has a new identity, a new life, and is trying to put the past behind him. Una, 27, thinks of nothing else. When Una arrives at Ray’s new office unannounced, guilt, rage, and raw emotions run high as they reexamine the relationship they had 15 years ago. Never able to reconcile the brutal truth of this abusive attachment, Una is looking for answers and the consequences are shattering. When one confuses abuse for love, it can disrupt their entire being.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Playwright David Harrower was commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival to write Blackbird in 2005. His first play, Knives in Hens, was produced in 1995 at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. He followed it with Kill The Old, Torture Their Young (1998) and The Chrysalids (1999), adapted from John Wyndham novel for the National Theatre’s Connections project. Subsequent works include Presence (2001) and Dark Earth (2003). Harrower has also gained recognition for his adaptations and translations. He adapted Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author (Six Characters Looking for an Author) and Chekhov’s Ivanov (2002). His translation of Jon Fosse’s The Girl on the Sofa (2002) was presented in a joint production by the Edinburgh International Festival and the Schaubuhne, Berlin. Additionally, he wrote a new version of Odon von Horvath’s Tales from the Vienna Woods (2003) for the National Theatre, London, and adapted Buchner’s Woyzeck. His adaptation of Schiller’s Mary Stuart premiered in 2006. David Harrower lives in Glasgow.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Malinda L. Beckham, artistic director for Dirt Dogs Theatre Co., takes the helm as director of Blackbird. Beckham directed Race, The Pillowman, Coyote on a Fence, A Steady Rain (in 2016 and 2022), The Boundary (world premiere), Glengarry Glen Ross, The Exonerated, the streaming production of Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, and co-directed A Lie of the Mind.
Blackbird features Kevin Daugherty as Ray and Olivia Knight as Una. Morgan Taylor Hughs understudies the role of Una. Rounding out the creative team are Mark Lewis (scenic and lighting design), Trevor B. Cone (sound design), Malinda L. Beckham (costume design and set decoration), Adina Opalek (assistant director and intimacy director), Kyle Clark (fight director), John Baker (production manager), and Barbara Alicea-Aponte (production stage manager).
DETAILS
CALENDAR LISTING
Theatre/Performing Arts
WHAT
Blackbird
WHO
Written by Written by David Harrower
Directed by Malinda L. Beckham (77077)
Featuring:
Role Actor (ZIP) Previous DDTCo. credits
Ray Kevin Daugherty (77551) A Steady Rain (Denny), Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
(Daryl Gates), White Guy on the Bus (Ray),
Talk Radio (Barry Champlain), and Life x 3 (Henry)
Una Olivia Knight (77023) The Birds (Julia)
Una understudy Morgan Taylor Hughs (77027) The Pillowman (Boy/Girl)
WHEN
March Feb 21 – March 8, 2025
PERFORMANCES
Opening night
Friday, Feb 21, 2025 (followed by a champagne reception)
Evenings
8pm | Fridays & Saturdays, Feb 21, 22, 28 and March 1, 7 & 8
7:30pm | Thursdays, Feb 27 & March 6 (followed by talkbacks with the director and cast)
7:30pm | Monday, March 3
Matinees
2pm | Sundays, March 2 & 8
Approximate run time
70 minutes (no intermission)
WHERE
MATCH – Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston
Matchbox 1, The Emily Todd Theater, 3400 Main St., Houston, TX 77002
BOX OFFICE
713.521.4533 | https://matchouston.org/events/2025/blackbird
TICKETS
Single tickets, $30
Matinees and Industry Mondays are “Pay What You Can”
