Thanksgiving dinner is supposed to bring families together. In Michael Fishman’s new play, The Bird Is Done, the turkey is only the beginning of the trouble.
Theater for the New City will present a free developmental reading of Fishman’s family dramedy on Monday, November 9, at 7 p.m. Directed by Jim Semmelman, the 75-minute reading features Marilyn Chris, Mitch Poulos and Liz Keifer, followed by a talkback with the creative team.
The play unfolds in the cluttered Upper West Side apartment of 80-year-old Anna Morino, who hopes to reunite her family for Thanksgiving after two years apart. Instead, a daughter’s estrangement, a son’s arrest and the arrival of an outspoken girlfriend expose resentments the family has tried to leave untouched.
Chris, whose Broadway credits include Brighton Beach Memoirs, plays Anna. Poulos portrays Frank, a stubborn family elder, while Keifer plays Martha. Sean Hodges, Jaz Astwood and Julian Shatkin round out the cast.
The reading marks the first New York City presentation of Fishman’s first play. The playwright has previously worked with the Tribeca and Hamptons film festivals and Columbia University’s Film Division.
“To be entering into this sacred theatrical space with my first play is literally a dream come true,” Fishman said in a statement.
How to attend
When: Monday, November 9, 2026, at 7 p.m.
Where: Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, at East 10th Street.
Admission: Free; donations appreciated. Reservations are recommended through Theater for the New City or at 212-254-1109.
View production publicity photographs supplied by the theater’s press representative.
