'Burn This' fires up tonight

Even without a real fire, sparks will still fly when Theater Arts' production of Lanford Wilson's Burn This opens tonight in the Annenberg Center Studio Theater. According to College senior and Director Sara Rutstein, Burn This does not deal with one specific issue or emotion, but confronts a wide range of topics from death and love, to marriage and homosexuality. Rutstein did not want to divulge any plot details, saying the story -- especially the ending -- has many exciting twists and turns which, if revealed out of context, would lessen their impact. "The ending definitely makes sense," Rutstein said. "But it's definitely not what you'd expect." And while the play does deal with serious issues, cast members said it is not "too heavy" and has several humorous scenes. "The show is very dynamic," said College sophomore Jonathan Pitt. "Even the serious scenes have a lighter mood about them." Rutstein said she hopes the wide range of issues covered in the play will draw a more diverse audience. She said the show's story transcends the age barrier. "It's not just a story about young adults and relationships," Rutstein said. "It's a universal story which audiences from age 18 to 88 can relate to." From the start of rehearsals, one of the major challenges facing the director and cast has been how to deal with a heterosexual actor who would be playing a homosexual character, Rutstein said. However, Pitt -- who plays the part of the homosexual Larry -- said he had little difficulty in understanding his character and relating to him. "The fact that he is homosexual is only a fraction of Larry's personality," Pitt said. "While I am not a homosexual, there is a great deal of his character with which I can truly identify." Pitt added that much of the credit for his ability to portray Larry must go to playwright Wilson. Pitt said it "really helps" that Larry's lines are purposely written in a different style in order to set him apart from the other characters. "Wilson's words make it much easier to portray a complex and difficult character," Pitt said. Director Rutstein said that Pitt's character, as well as the other three characters in the play, could easily be labeled as "stereotypical." "Any of them could be viewed as stereotypes for people we see every day in society," said Rutstein. "But we purposely tried to grasp other aspects of each personality to create fuller, more well-rounded characters." Burn This opens tonight and continues through Saturday in the Annenberg Center's Studio Theater at 8 p.m. Tickets are available on Locust Walk.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.