The Arsonists

The Arsonists

Woolly Mammoth Theatre
641 D St NW Washington

You probably know the meme of the cartoon dog surrounded by flames and declaring: "This is fine." But you might not know this classic work that may as well have inspired it. Mild-mannered Mr. Biederman tries to live a blameless life, refusing to acknowledge evil of any kind -- even as the world around him burns. The facade comes crashing down when he allows two smooth-talking guests to move in to his home and they start filling his attic with petrol drums. Part moral fable and part black farce, Alistair Beaton's The Arsonists is an elegant, witty translation of Max Frisch's 1958 absurdist comedy The Firebugs, which was inspired by the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1948 and satirizes the way in which people can be manipulated into accommodating their own destruction.

Thru - Oct 8, 2017