What I liked
Darby Gaëlle Hannon is superb. She does a phenomenal job at bringing Marie to life. Marie is neurotic, beautiful, artistic, and bipolar. She loathes around southern California in an endless quest for the love and attention she didn’t get from her “Hollywood Parents.” She bounces around from one heart to the other, from one drug to the next drug, making art that she loves, and then trashes in explosive eruptions of childish despair. Always going back to the burn. Darby’s Marie is hypnotizing.
Shields and Bayer connect so well as Robertson and Joe. It is easy to see how much these brothers love and respect each other. Their story is marked by tragedy and tribulations. Joe wants a bit of Robertson’s passion and madness. Robertson craves Joe’s peace of mind. As the plot unfolded, I could easily imagine these characters as young brothers fighting their inner demons and sharing their passion for history and literature.
What I didn't like
At 90 minutes, this play could really use a 15-min break halfway.
My overall impression
The Arsonist of Venice explores our relationship with people, place, and emotions in an action-packed play. The main character, interpreted in a stellar way by Blake Shields, is a deeply troubled pyromaniac novelist that is seeking revenge for a crime committed in the family decades ago. Joe, his adoptive brother, is a down-to-earth, responsible, and emotional history professor that desperately wants to reconnect with his formerly imprisoned brother. Marie, Robertson’s Girlfriend, seeks the love and attention she didn’t get from her Hollywood parents. The Arsonist of Venice captivates, entertains, and shocks. I recommend it.
