Theater News

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Set for The Arsonists

Performances of Max Frisch’s play, directed by Michael John Garcés, begin tonight.

Akeem Davis, Peter Howard, and Jose Joaquin Perez star in Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company's production of Max Frisch's The Arsonists, directed by Michael John Garcés.
Akeem Davis, Peter Howard, and Jose Joaquin Perez star in Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company's production of Max Frisch's The Arsonists, directed by Michael John Garcés.
(© Ben Gunderson)

The Arsonists begins performances tonight at Woolly Mammoth Theatre.

Directed by Michael John Garcés, Swiss playwright Max Frisch's play features a new translation by Alistair Beaton and is described as follows: "The world may be starting to burn, but our Everyman has it all under control. He’s a respected
member of his community with a loving wife and a flourishing business, so surely the arsonists will spare him. As an upstanding citizen, he’s even happy to do his civic duty by opening his home to two new guests… but when they start filling his attic with drums of gasoline, will the fire hit too close to home?"

Woolly Mammoth artistic director Howard Shalwitz stars in the production and is joined by Tim Getman, Kim Gilbert, and Emily Townley. The cast also includes Bahni Turpin, Regina Aquino, Peter Howard, Sue Jin Song, Akeem Davis, and J.J. Perez.

"The Arsonists is a chilling reminder that great destruction is the cost of complacency," says Shalwitz. "We explored Frisch’s famous script during a company lab this past summer at the suggestion of Michael John Garcés. On the morning after the election, we decided it was the most essential play to launch our new season. Presented in the style of a Brechtian parable or mock-Greek tragedy, The Arsonists can be viewed through many different lenses, but no one will miss its shocking relevance for our nation today."

The creative team includes Misha Kachman (set design), Colin K. Bills (lighting design), Ivania Stack (costume design), Jared Mezzocchi (video design), and James Bigbee Garver (sound design). Choreography is by Stacey Printz, and Chad Clark is the composer.

For tickets and more information, click here.

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The Arsonists

Closed: October 8, 2017