The Fire Room

A well-executed, surreal tale that will have you laughing one minute, holding back tears the next, and possibly laughing and crying at the same time (if you're capable). Meghan Brown's The Fire Room presents a version of the afterlife that is both tragic and allows for endless possibilities--but only if those possibilities are allowed to grow. As it seems, in death (as in life) no one is done climbing the ladder of understanding, and if you're not willing to be patient and keep climbing, you'll stay stuck at the bottom--possibly in bureaucratic hell. Amanda McRaven's direction also presents the story in an interesting and complimentary light. The cold, dark, and lonely confines of death blanket the audience from the moment you take you... full review

A superlative slice of Fringe. I was only fortunate enough to catch one show this year and I doubt I could've chosen better. With inventive production design, excellent performances across the board and solid, understated direction, it's the writing that absolutely shines here. With imagination, humor and poignancy, Brown portrays an wholly original depiction of the afterlife I wanted to explore for more than sixty solitary minutes. Highly recommended.... full review

In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mola Ram reaches slowly into a sacrifice's chest and pulls out his still beating heart. In the remarkable production of The Fire Room, writer Meghan Brown manages to do the same to the audience. Only she hold the heart up to the light, lets it feel the sunshine, and then kisses it warmly and pushes it back into your chest stronger and better. It's poetic yet punk rock, lyric yet laugh-out-loud, and fearless, dynamic, and touching. Only a hour long, the fugitive kind builds an entire magical purgatory with its own set of rules and then spins a wistfully simply and yet richly complex narrative. I hesitate to call it a love story, because that so dismissive and simplistic, but it is that. A romance,... full review

Watching "The Fire Room," I kept coming back to one of my favorite quotes: "Everything I've ever let go of has claw marks on it." This one-hour production from Fugitive Kind grabs you with a passion not often seen in the hip, ironic stance taken by so many in entertainment. Meghan Brown's script puts its heart on its sleeve, fastens it with nails, then comes at the audience full force, without worry of bruising or cuts. It's fast, funny, smart and, in its own twisted way, incredibly sweet. It's not afraid to care in a time where caring can often be seen as weakness. The cast is as fully committed to director Amanda McRaven's directorial vision as possible, and McRaven staging is far from the nearly sitcom-style direction often seen on stages... full review

This is one of those moments when your heart aches at the beauty and eloquence that is live theatre- and how real life will never measure up to the poetry, the lyricism, the magical movement and eloquent honesty that is explored and released in this innovative story. Then, there is the embarrassment of emotional riches, highs and lows, that you are forced to experience whilst crowded and rubbing up against your fellow audience members as they live through their own personal, yet communal, experiences. I arrived at the show exhausted and not entirely sure I would be physically able to make it through- and then it began, and by the end I felt that not only had my mind and body woken up, but my spirit was also awoken and re-energized.... full review

A supremely lyrical work that is in turns heart-wrenching, laugh-inducing, and thought-provoking, The Fire Room will captivate you from the moment you enter the room. Meghan Brown has crafted a wonderfully unique story that contemplates the personal heavens and hells of romantic relationships and envisions how those here-and-now encounters continue to resonate into the afterlife. Amanda McRaven's superb direction and a fantastic cast bring the poetry on Brown's pages to life with a show that rages (sometimes literally) with kinetic, soulful energy. Altogether, a powerful and beautiful thing to witness; save the $14 you'd otherwise spend seeing the summer's (sadly) lackluster blockbuster flicks, and see this live theater experience in Los Ang... full review

Loved the show. Well staged and well acted. Stand out performances by Rachel Grate and Jim Senti A perfect fringe show for a steamy afternoon:)... full review

I went to see The Fire Room with my boyfriend, and he is not someone who gets excited about live theater. After seeing this play, though, he went out of his way to recommend it to his buddies. I was moved to tears several times, but I also laughed a great deal. I'm looking forward to seeing many more of Meghan Brown's amazing works. ... full review