Sanctuary: A Bird Masque

A poetic dramatic masque written for a sanctuary dedication follows a child's reverie after hearing a hermit thrush and evolves into a staged ritual in which personified birds, a faun, a dryad, a poet, a naturalist, and a predatory plume hunter enact the threats and protections surrounding wild birds. Through songs, pantomime, and symbolic tableaux the piece contrasts reverence for avian life with human exploitation, celebrates sanctuary-building and conservation, and proposes civic theatre as a vehicle for popular natural education and moral appeal.