by Geoff Hoff~

Alistair Beaton’s 2007 translation of Max Frisch’s The Arsonists (which was first translated into English as The Firebugs), now playing in its American premier at the Odyssey Theatre,  is an allegorical and absurdist black comedy which examines middle class complacency in the face of great evil.  Originally directed pointedly at the German people who allowed Nazism to not only thrive but flourish, it can now be seen in much broader terms.  This new translation takes a few liberties with the original script in order to make it more focused and relevant to current myopia, but the main thrust of the marvelously, darkly funny play is still very much intact.

The question the play asks is, when the devil is in your house, do you befriend him in order to deflect his evil from yourself and your family, or should you cast him out to save the neighborhood but risk the full weight of his evil falling upon you.  Most of us, the play asserts, would try to befriend him, then would be surprised when events took their inevitable course.

The Arsonists is a parody of a morality play, complete with a moralizing chorus, a group of clown-faced firemen.  It begins with Biedermann, a corrupt businessman, reading newspaper reports of a pair of arsonists who talk and charm their way into people’s homes, then burn them down.  He is certain that he could never fall for such nonsense.  Immediately, of course, the first arsonist arrives.  The arsonists aren’t at all sneaky about what they are doing.  In a twist on the notion of “The Big Lie,” one of their main tactics is to tell the absolute and total truth in such a way that it becomes unbelievable to someone who’s main focus is protecting their own skin.

The name Biedermann can be translated to mean “Everyman” and Norbert Weisser is wonderful as the everyman who doggedly protects his insular life while pretending to be worldly and arrogantly clings to his ignorance as if it were a great virtue.  When confronted by a choice that requires thought, Biedermann shouts, “I have the right not to think anything at all.”  It is a right many people cling to in order to perpetuate the illusion of safety and security.

The play also deals with our notions of fate, positing that, when we call something “fate” we do so in order to release ourselves from any responsibility for it.  Frisch does not seem to believe in fate.  He goes as far as to say that allowing, and even helping, evil to flourish is “stupidity dressed up as fate.”

Biedermann’s wife, Babette, is played with dignity in the face of confusion by Beth Hogan.  His maid, Anna, played by Diana Cignoni, shouts at Biedermann in German and carries out his ridiculous orders with only the slightest amount of disdain, only enough to insulate her for any blame if things go wrong, but not enough to threaten her cushy position.  The two arsonists are Schmitz, a slovenly ex-circus performer played with great gusto by John Achorn and Eisenring, an elegant head waiter, the intellectual of the two, well played by Ron Bottitta but with, perhaps, just a tad bit too much masculinity.

There is also a Professor of Philosophy, played by Alan Abelew, who starts out working with the arsonists because he sees what they are doing as a necessary evil but then turns on them and tries to warn the Biedermanns when he discovers they aren’t doing what they do for political reasons, they do it because they enjoy it.  The final character is Mrs. Knechtling, played by Chantal DeGroat.  She is the widow of an ex-employee that Biedermann tossed to the curb once he’d used the man’s genius for his own profit.

The Arsonists was directed with a sure hand by Ron Sossi, who brought out the wonderfully uncomfortable humor of the piece with subtle surrealism while still forcing us to see ourselves in Biedermann and his wife.  It is puzzling, however, that he chose to have Babbett and Anna double as Firemen.  Of course, everyone besides Biedermann and the two arsonists double as fireman, but it is distracting to see Babette and Anna don the firemen’s hats and slickers.

The set, by Brigitte Moos, has three main areas: the downstairs living room of the Biedermann home, the attic above them, and the neighborhood surrounding them represented by several small houses hung by wires on both sides of the main house.  The attic was marvelously evocative, but the living room was just serviceable and the neighborhood did little to support the comic menace of the play.

The costumes, by Kathryn Poppen, were very good, especially the short dress of Babette’s that tall maid Anna is forced to wear in one scene.

Eric Losoya and Cary Thompson round out the cast as both policeman and fireman/chorus members.

The Arsonists is performed. Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m and Sundays at 2 p.m. through May 23rd, 2010.  There will be Wednesday performances on 5/5, 5/12 and 5/19 at 8 pm.  The Sunday performances on 4/4, 4/25 and 5/23 will be at 7 pm.

Ticket prices: Wednesdays through Fridays, $25.00.  Saturdays and Sundays, $30.00 $5.00 off on Senior tickets on Sundays.  Student/SAG/EQUITY/AFTRA tickets, $15.00 on Fridays.

The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, 90025, just north of Olympic Blvd.

Reservations online at www.odysseytheatre.com or by phone at (310) 477-2055.