by Jacqueline Goldfinger, a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Produced by Perseverance Theatre
I read several Jacqueline Goldfinger plays before NNPN scheduled The Arsonists for its 2015 showcase in Miami. The reading was good: The two Florida actors NNPN found clearly loved playing with Jackie’s text, which happens to be set in rural northern Florida. I ran Perseverance Theatre then. Programming, for me, involved finding a mix of things explicitly Alaskan and things from outside Alaska that are interesting. The arsonist and her old-time musician father were relatable: Iconoclastic, off the grid, rebel characters, living deeply human lives, in a remote corner of America. The Arsonists is a contemporary piece, but its roots in Electra and old time music imbue an eternal, ancient feel. There will always be those seeking life on, or just beyond the edges. Florida Swamps and Alaskan Forests are two of these places for people singing their own old songs.
I had directed another two actor cast, and feel these extended duets live in the space two actors create between them. Work on music and dialect shaped that space for us. Both actors were long-time company members, but had not worked together much. Both outstanding vocalists, we leaned into the musical moments to explore the unsaid between them. Thanks to these two terrific actors and a very talented and supportive group of women who designed the show for our production, I sought to focus on the daughter/protagonist’s journey through fatigue after their accident and grief over her losses: Of her father, which is recent, and that triggers the grief for her long-lost mother, which is more complicated.
If we have a loving father, can we ever be really ready to live in a world without that love?
My own father was an old-time player of his own (guitar), and usually, he speaks after planning thoughtfully what he wants to say. When I’m alone with my dad, the effect is pregnant moments of silence punctuated by insight. Between the lines, our staging of The Arsonists included extended moments of music, silence, or movement in various combinations. Like so many audience members, the play reminded me of my dad in so may of he best ways. Even though he was not arsonist.
“For 70 spellbinding minutes — one act, no intermission — Perseverance presents a Southern Gothic myth inspired by the ncient Greek tragedy of “Electra.” Set in the deep, dark recesses of the Northern lorida swamp, “The Arsonists” tells the story of a small-time father-daughter arsonist team dealing with the aftermath of a job gone horribly wrong.”
“… the strength of “The Arsonists” lies in the fullness of its roduction. The play unfolds on one set, courtesy of scenic designer Sara Ryung Clement, a faithful reproduction of a typical shotgun shack, except ith a raked floor and slanting walls, as if to suggest a world gone off-kilter. Not to be outdone, lighting designer Lauren MacKenzie Miller and sound designer Lucy Peckham conspire to evoke smoke, fire, the wilds of Florida and the supernatural forces at work on the father’s ghost.
However, in a two-person play, success hinges on its actors. Under the taut direction of Art Rotch, who also serves as Perseverance Executive Artistic Director, Allison Holtkamp and Aaron Elmore shine as M and H, espectively.”
—— Geoff Kirsch, the Juneau Empire, May 8, 2018. Click here for the full review.
A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, Produced by Perseverance Theatre, Art Rotch, Artistic Director
Cast: Allison Holtkamp as M and Aaron Elmore as H.
Music by Mike Maas, Aaron Elmore, and Allison Holtkamp
Set Designed by Sara Ryung Clement — Costumes Designed by Elizabeth Rocha — Lighting Designed by Lauren M. Miller — Sound Designed by Lucy Peckham
Stage Managed by Anne Szeliski — Assistant Director and Dialect by Joseph Biagini
