BY ELENA CHAWLA ’26

On one of the nicer days of this semester, I walked to the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater, excited to see The Arsonists by Jacqueline Goldfinger, directed by Penelope Gibeau ‘27. The production drew a large audience for closing night. I made my way into Studio A, and the second I sat down, I immediately felt part of the world being created. The chatter of the audience, combined with the dim lighting by Garin Miner-Drews ‘28, created an environment that lasted the entire time.

As the lights dimmed, the chatter quieted, and soon came the entrance of M (Daniella Solomon ’29), immediately followed by police sirens. A slight panic instilled in M before H (Perseus Fowler Perlaza ‘29)
popped up from behind the couch.

The plot follows H’s need for M to go back to a burned down location to retrieve his
remaining body parts all while M refuses to go because that would mean losing her last living
parent.

The Arsonists explores the meaning of hiding and remaining hidden from not just the police, but
the world as a whole. The tension between both characters was a masterful creation of
Gibeau’s.

Gibeau did a wonderful job creating the father daughter relationship. In this play, the audience is
introduced to M and H. After a near escape from the police, M and H are trapped in their own
home trying to rebuild the relationship that was recently brought to ashes. Through song and
guitar playing, both characters are tasked with finding ways to remain close to each other. The
set, by Ella Theoharis ‘26, created a more intimate scene. Between the couch, the stools, the
flats, and the window, the masterfully created set design brings the reality of this family to life.
Gibeau took a minimalistic set and created a moving story through accents, costumes, and
movement. As the play goes on, the relationship between M and H becomes more defined
which leads to harsher struggles and deeper connections between the two connections.
This play grapples with themes such as life, family, and ghosts. This gothic-like story was
intriguing from start to finish.

Though M ended up fulfilling H’s wishes, her struggle to do so persisted through her interactions
with him. Gibeau created an ending to this production in a satisfying yet gut wrenching way.

Photos by Logan Waugh

***

Elena Chawla ’26 is a staff writer for the Skidmore Theater Living Newsletter