Pay What You Can
Sliding Scale Tickets $0-$15
RedBird Theater Company proudly presents FIRST FLIGHT, an ongoing showcase of new works by North Carolina playwrights.
by North Carolina playwright Chris Canfield
Sunday, July 5, 2026 at 3:30 PM - Staged Reading
The ArtsCenter, 400 Roberson St., Carrboro, NC
When retired history professor Althus Gray impulsively leaves his Michigan home for his sister's house in small-town Tennessee, his wife Lillian must confront a forty-five-year rivalry she thought she'd won. As Althus reconnects with his Southern roots and a former flame, both he and Lillian face hard truths about identity, belonging, and the compromises required by marriage. GRAY'S LILY is ultimately a love story—one that asks whether scared, imperfect old people deserve love, and whether it's ever too late to finally be yourself.
Director: Jeri Lynn Schulke
Cast: Scott Campbell, Mary Beth Clark, Kevin Collins, Marcia Edmundson, Kate Finlayson, Sarah Froeber, Jordan Monadjemi, Cooper Thornton
Performed in approximately one hour and forty-five minutes, including a brief intermission.
Seating is limited so please reserve your tickets in advance!
Click here for helpful information on arriving at The ArtsCenter.
Upcoming Productions!
THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN
by Eric Coble
September 17-20, 2026
@ The ArtsCenter, 400 Robeson Street, Carrboro NC
September 26/27 & October 3/4, 2026
@ Skin & Bones Theater, 118 West Parrish Street, Durham, NC
October 17, 2026
@ The Ox Theater at City Hall, 300 Williamsboro Street, Oxford, NC
Director - Adam Traylor
Cast - David Berberian, Lenore Field
Production Team - JJ Bauer, Derrick Ivey
THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN swirls around Alexandra, an 80-year-old artist in a showdown with her family over where she’ll spend her remaining years. In Alexandra’s corner are her wit, her volcanic passion, and the fact that she’s barricaded herself in her Brooklyn brownstone with enough Molotov cocktails to take out the block. But her children have their own secret weapon: estranged son Chris, who returns after 20 years, crawls through Alexandra’s second-floor window and becomes the family’s unlikely mediator. No sooner are the words “Hi, Mom” uttered than the emotional bombs start detonating. THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN is a wickedly funny and wonderfully touching discovery of the fragility and ferocity of life.
Bracing, honest, and often deliciously funny… —The New York Times.
A vivid poetic expression for all the frustrations of old age… —Washington Post.
Sublime and penetrating… it touches on a sobering dilemma faced by families every day. —Variety
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL
by North Carolina playwright Elliot Engel
December 18 & 19, 2026
@ The ArtsCenter, 400 Robeson Street, Carrboro NC
Director - Jeffrey West
Cast - Adam Sampieri
Production Team - JJ Bauer, Hannah Haverkamp, Derrick Ivey, Louis Landry
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL is a perfect gift for the whole family! Join the one and only Charles Dickens (portrayed by Adam Sampieri) as he concocts his best-loved story.... creating over a dozen characters out of thin air and spontaneously conjuring classic scenes from A Christmas Carol.
This project is supported by the Durham Arts Council’s Annual Arts Fund and the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.
The Regulator Bookshop has partnered with RedBird to offer an exciting selection of titles relevant to our productions. Check out the RedBird Reading List.
RedBird Patrons will receive a 10% discount on book purchases!
"You can't help it. An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times."