Lanford Wilson's "Burn This" directed by Darren Blaney at The University of Miami, Hecht Studio Theater, Spring 2015

Some production photos of Lanford Wilson's Burn This

University of Miami, Spring 2015

Direction, Set & Lighting Design:
Darren Patrick Blaney
Artistic Director: Henry Fonte

Fight choreography: Lee Soroko

Vocal coaching: Josh Jacobson

Costume coordination: Tim Bell

Stage manager: Andrew Gryniewicz
ASM/Sound Coordination: Sam Chan
ASM/Props Coordination: Victoria Sadowski
Studio Coordinator: Margo Camden
Faculty Liaison & Publicity: Brian Valencia

Cast: 

Anna: Rebecca Muller

Pale: Timothy Bell

Burton: Matthew Jacobs

Larry: Joey Casseb

Robbie's ghost: Taylor Stutz

More photos and program notes on next page

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

One of the founders of the Off-Off-Broadway “gay theater” movement in the mid-1960s, Lanford Wilson developed a reputation throughout his lengthy career for being a master of ensemble composition. Among theater scholars and practitioners alike, Wilson has been widely hailed as a “modern Chekov” due to the way his plays brim over with subtext. In other words, his characters often do not say what they really mean. Their words, as well as the superficial objectives they seem to pursue, are often disjointed from their most pressing inner needs. Due to both the ensemble nature of his writing, and his copious use of rich subtext, Lanford Wilson’s plays provide fertile challenges for actors, as he demands that they listen with both their ears and hearts in order to fully discover their characters.

Burn This reveals to us a smoldering world in which imperfect human beings support and sometimes collide with each other as they move through loss. Written in 1987 and set in Manhattan at the height of the U.S. AIDS crisis, the play is as much about survival in the midst of disaster as it is a love story. Burn This suggests that a love-filled future is possible, even after tragedy, provided we stay true to our inner selves, especially in our work. With lines such as “there’s some humongous mega-passion, something felt much deeper than we know,” “half my adult life… has been spent looking for a place to park,” “you can’t imagine a feeling everyone hasn’t had. Make it personal, tell the truth, and then write ‘Burn this’ on it,” “she’s working… the work’s good. Nothing else is important,” and “this isn’t opera, this is life, why should love always be tragic?,” Burn This sparks us to look beyond ourselves when reconsidering what is truly important. For the characters in the play, artistic work born from both human connection and loss provides the balm that is needed for healing, as well as the blazing sparks that ignite this “mega-passion.” My hope is that the show will provide a hearth for its audience, who will leave the theater after the curtain call feeling a bit warmer, despite the abundance of air-conditioning in the Studio. Please enjoy Burn This!

Burn This bows: