🐦 The Final Recordings of an Almost Extinct Bird

Story

Fred has a lot on his mind. The origins of the universe, for starters. The fabric of spacetime, too. The formation of the Earth, plate tectonics, the fossil record, gravitational waves, dark matter, winding valley roads, campfires, pottery cafes—the list goes on and on. There’s also the matter of the giant salty egg, the man in the comfy blue chair, and the burning question: “Is this good? What I’m doing? With mine? My time?”

The show was developed over a three-year period, which included fascinating collaborations and research conducted with astrophysicists, palaeontologists, archeologists, geologists, and cosmologists.

It is a very personal story about the beginnings and endings of love, life, humanity and the cosmos, and an invitation to consider one's relationship with deep time, no matter what rocks you live on.

Developed in association with The Fundy Geological Museum, "Final Recordings..." had its premiere run at Eastern Front Theatre's 2025 Stages Festival. Performed, composed and sound designed by Stewart Legere, with projections by Christian Ludwig Hansen, lighting by Jessica Lewis, costumes, set and props by Leesa Hamilton, and directed by Ben Stone, “Final Recordings...” is where TED Talk, sob story, and cottagecore collide.

TOURING

Final Recordings... is now available for touring.

Info for festival and theatre presenters:

Please email info@zuppa.works if you would like access to:

- A FULL LENGHT ARCHIVAL VIDEO

- A 5 MINUTE EXCERPT of the full archival demonstrating the 3 stage positions and lighting, projection, set and sound designs.

**The purpose of the simple archival videos is to give presenters and technicians a sense of the show and an understanding of the technical requirements, it should not be used for promotional purposes or public viewing.

- A SCRIPT

Below you will find links to:

TECH RIDER

*INSTRUMENT SCHEDULE *from the premiere production.

*LIGHTING PLOT *from the premiere production.

Press

From Amanda Campbell of "TWISI Theatre and Music Blog"

Company

Ben Stone - director

Stewart Legere - performer

Ben Stone and Stewart Legere - playwrights

Fundy Geological Museum, Regan Maloney - science consultant

Stewart Legere - composer

Christian Ludwig Hansen - projection design

Stewart Legere - sound design

Jess Lewis - lighting design

Leesa Hamilton - costume, prop and set design

Bernie Francis - Mi'kmaw language consultant

Sophie Schade - producer

Mary Fay Coady - interim producer

Gaby Milner - FSPA student apprentice

Schedule

"Final Recordings..." had its premiere run at Eastern Front Theatre's 2025 Stages Festival.

Upcoming:

Ship's Company Theatre, Parrsboro. August 1st and 2nd, 2026.

King's Theatre, Annapolis Royal. August 22nd, 2026.

The Arts Guild, Charlottetown. September 10th and 11th, 2026.

Theatre New Brinswick, Fredericton. October 2026.

Photos

A black background. A ghostly, blurred image of a man in blue/purple light, seemingly screaming in agony. a man, wrapped in a colourful knit blanket, stands with his back to the camera. He is staring at a giant projection screen where fire and lava fill his view. Because of the angle of the shot, it sometimes appears as though he himself is inside the fire. A giant projection screen with an image of the night sky, dotted with millions of stars, in blue, and purple, and black. On the left of the image, a small wooden table, with a green banker's light, a small grey rock, and an open laptop. A cozy wooden armchair is pulled up to the table, with a colourful knit blanket draped over the back. These things all sit atop a circular beige jute rug. A man, dressed in black, walks away from the table. The image is over exposed, so ghostly reflections of the man cascade out of frame. to the left, a chair with a blanket, a table, a banker's lamp. behind it, a large glowing blue circle on the wall. a shadow of a man on the wall. a table with a computer and green banker's light. a backdrop with projected starry sky. a man in black exits the left of the frame. a table with a green banker's light. a chair with a rainbow blanket draped over the back. a man sits at the chair. his face is projected on the wall, very large, behind him. he is covering his mouth, as if in shock. The set of Final Recordings... an antique chair and table on top of a circular cottage rug. Stewart Legere, seated at a table with a computer infant of him. He hold his hands up beside his head. Stewart Legere, speaking into a microphone on a mic stand. Stewart Legere, sitting at a table. Behind him is a projection of a blackhole.