Loosely based on apoem by Rupert Brooke, Arson centerson Avery Cannon, a poet by day who engages in serial arson by night. Cannonfinds himself in an endless waking dream, accompanied by his aggravatedgirlfriend, a psychiatrist, a patient of the psychiatrist, and a janitor. Like God Bridge,Wilson’s newplay explores those on the margins of society, but their milieu is not thecentral focus of the play. “The characters can be seen as almost non sequitur,”Wilson says.“The motives are hidden and their actions are much more important than whatthey say.”
Drive Me to Arson started life as a one-act by Wilson.The play has been reworked specifically with the Minnesota Fringe Festival inminda few days after it closes here, it opens at the festival. LillianTillson, who directed God Bridgefor Youngblood last year, will direct Arson.The show stars David Rothrock as Cannon. The compelling vulnerability Rothrockshowed in Youngblood’s Red Light Wintershould work well in the center of the action here. The ensemble includesYoungblood co-founder Tess Cinpinski as Cannon’s girlfriend, fellow co-foundersRich Gillard and Andrew Edwin Voss as the psychiatrist and his patient andTommy Stevens as the janitor.
Youngblood’s Drive Me to Arson runs July 22-31 at theUW-Milwaukee Studio Theatre.
In addition to Arson, a pair of musicals opens thisweekend. Off the WallTheatre’s production of StephenSondheim’s fairy-tale mutation Into theWoods begins July 22. Dale Gutzman isset to direct this production, which runs through Aug. 8.
The Greendale CommunityTheatre’s production of Hairspray also opens July 22. Theregional community theater debut of this 2002 Broadway hit will benefit fromthe relatively sizable budget available to Greendale Community Theatre. Hairspray will feature costume design byMichael Keiley and Kate Vannoy, who have recently created some impressivedesign work for Carte Blanche. It will be interesting to see what they do withthe bright, Technicolor world of this retro, ’60s musical. Hairspray runs through July 31.
