‘The Starling Effect’: a scifi thriller by Calgary’s Verb Theatre
Posted May 4, 2026 9:57 am.
Last Updated May 4, 2026 9:58 am.
A new science fiction thriller by Calgary’s Verb Theatre, inspired by a familiar black bird in the city, is taking flight until May 9.
The Starling Effect by local playwright Lara Schmitz premiered for the first-time at Vertigo Studio Theatre on April 28.
She also performs in the production, which centres on a failed experiment, fractured relationships and the question of whether consciousness can survive beyond the flesh.
The story follows Ravonna, a scientist who believes she has caused her sister’s death during an experiment involving human consciousness. That belief is later upended.
“She discovers that actually her sister’s soul is inside of a starling bird,” Schmitz says. “There’s actually two souls in this starling bird: there’s the soul of her sister and the soul of her former mentor’s wife.”
To save them, Ravonna must reunite with her former mentor, Dr. Sandra Beetle, and attempt to re‑enter the experiment.
The production takes its name and inspiration from the common starling, an invasive bird in Calgary, known for moving through neighbourhoods in massive flocks during seasonal migration. Schmitz says the bird’s behaviour helped shape both the story and its themes.
“They can take over, and depending on locations, there can be like hundreds of thousands of starlings,” she says. “So they can destroy things, but they also fly in these beautiful formations called ‘murmurations.'”
Starlings are also known for their ability to imitate sounds.
“They can mimic other birds, but they can mimic so well that they sound like humans,” Schmitz says. “And I mean this to be like an eerie, uncanny valley sort of level. They can do different human voices.”
That mix of beauty and unease was key to the play’s development.
Schmitz says she was looking for a way to bridge the gap between natural and sci fi with a heartfelt story.
Along with Schmitz, The Starling Effect features a cast of four, including Esther Purves‑Smith, Caleigh Crow and Bronwyn Steinberg. The one‑act show runs approximately 85 minutes.
Schmitz says the play has been demanding physically and emotionally for the cast, particularly as it moved from page to rehearsal room.
“It’s just incredible to work with them,” she says. “This play asks a lot, a lot emotionally, physically.”
She describes the final result as fast‑moving and grounded in emotional reality — startling and comforting the audience.
“I think it is quite a thriller, like it is quite quick, but it’s also heartfelt,” Schmitz says.
The Starling Effect is produced by Verb Theatre in association with Reckless Daughter Creative.=
Tickets can be found online at Verb Theatre here.
