Where & When
TUE + WED NOV 04-05
6-9PM | ROBLE GYM LOUNGE
Performance Info
THU-SAT FEB 26-28
8PM | PIGOTT THEATER
Important Resources
Must be logged in on an @stanford.edu account to view
Accessibility
If any accessibility accommodations with auditions or callbacks are needed please email tapsinformation [at] stanford.edu for assistance.
Sponsors
This production was made possible in part by the Pigott Fund for Drama and the May Ellen Ritter Production Fund.
About The Arsonists
By Max Frisch
Translation by Alistair Beaton
There have been a lot of fires lately. Whole neighborhoods are burning down! But surely this strange pair who just arrived has nothing to do with any of it. Surely if we give them a place to sleep upstairs and feed them well, they won’t disturb our peace and quiet! Even if they are arsonists — even if, in fact, they tell us that they are — surely, they will remember that we’re their friends! And we’ll be safe! Let’s just try and get some sleep, despite all the noise up there.
What’s a good citizen to do when potentially destructive thugs are suddenly sleeping in your attic, hoarding gasoline and looking for matches? Join us to find out in The Arsonists — a physical, hilarious, and painfully timely “morality play without a moral.”
Max Frisch’s The Arsonists premiered as “Beidermann and the Firebugs,” a radio-play, in 1953 and was adapted for the stage in 1958.
Stanford TAPS seeks to build a diverse cast for this production and encourages members of any race, gender identity, and ability to audition. If any accessibility accommodations are needed please email tapsinformation [at] stanford.edu for assistance.
About the Director
Matt Chapman (he/him/they) is a performer, director, and teacher of physical theatre, movement, and clown. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Under the Table, collaborating on each of the company’s 13 works produced since its founding in 2001. Based in Oakland, CA, Matt began working with TAPS as a lecturer in Winter 2017.
Matt’s performances, directing, and teaching have happened across the world — in South Africa, Denmark, Colombia, the Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, and England. Matt has worked on the Faculties of several programs at American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and spent years on the Faculty at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre.
He has toured extensively to venues across North America — from Broadway’s Signature Theatre to a Senior’s Center in Saskatoon. His work in NYC has been seen at HERE Arts Center, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Williamsburg Art neXus, Under St. Marks, a hallway at City College, etc. He has collaborated with NYC’s Eavesdrop; Durban, South Africa’s African Dream Circus; Sweden’s Cirkus Cirkor; Denmark’s Filuren and Jomfru Ane Teatret; Blue Lake’s Dell’Arte Company; Philadelphia’s Hotel Obligado; Arcata, CA’s Pequeño Teatro DanceTheatre, and Clowns Without Borders. He also had the honor to work as Movement Consultant for Stanford’s The Good Person of Szechwan, directed by Mina Morita.
Matt writes music for and plays guitar in the Oakland punk band The Big Forgive, and is a graduate of Dell’Arte International and the University of Kansas. He was a recipient of Theatre Communications Group’s New Generations Future Leaders program.
About Rehearsals
This is a play about what happens when we are complacent, when we stay “neutral,” and when we give bullies a little room in the attic hoping that we won’t be their next target. The play is not realism — it’s very clearly theater and it’s larger than life: this is my favorite kind of honest space to play with in the theater. Rehearsals will be active and relatively physical.
A TAPS Main Stage production is a significant time commitment that comes with course credit (TAPS 122M) and requires rehearsals five to six times per week. Students will be encouraged to take the course for 2 or more units. Rehearsals begin in the Winter Quarter.
Not all students will be called for every rehearsal, but participants will be expected to be available for each rehearsal unless they have listed it as a conflict on their audition form. You can view the Production Schedule linked under “Important Resources.”
About Auditions
Auditions will be held as ten-minute, individual timeslots. If you are unable to attend auditions in person, a video submission can be sent in via Google Drive link to tapsinformation@stanford.edu by November 05 at 12pm PT.
What To Prepare
While not required, students are asked to prepare a one-minute monologue of their choosing. Students will be asked to read from audition sides (linked under “Important Resources”).
Casting Breakdown
All roles are open to people of all backgrounds. The genders of the Biedermanns and Anna will be as written (though the gender of the actor is not necessarily relevant). The gender of all other characters is potentially flexible — and gender of actor is not relevant.
- Gottlieb Biedermann: early-middle-aged, middle-class, middle-everything. Considers himself a philanthropist. Sells hair tonic that does nothing.
- Babette Biedermann: middle-class, comfortable (until now), aware. Not pleased with the way her husband is handling these strange arrivals, but he’s in charge…
- Anna: a maid in the Biedermann’s household. Observant.
- Josef Schmitz: a former wrestler, probably an arsonist. Can get what he wants. Threatening. Big, or we make you look big when you play him and that’s fun.
- William Eisenring: former high-end waiter, probably an arsonist (ok, yeah- an arsonist). Charming, smooth.
- Mrs. Knechtling: widow of a recently deceased employee of Biedermann. Her husband killed himself after Biedermann took advantage of him.
- Doctor of Philosophy: an academic, who’s apparently been studying these guys all along. But he’s just watching! He can excuse himself from guilt and move along.
- Police Officer: what it says on the tin
- The Chorus: a bunch of firefighters who see all and protect the town. They are onstage most of the time and will have lots to do and will need to move together in fun ways. A moral perspective from the exterior.
- Chorus Leader: does in fact lead the chorus. Says a lot more than they do, but is functionally a chorus member.
Design & Assistant Positions
TAPS is also seeking design and rehearsal assistants for this production. Applications are due via email to the TAPS Production Manager: tapsproductionmgmt [at] stanford.edu. General crew and behind-the-scenes inquiries are welcome as well.
Assistant Applications
Must be logged in on an @stanford.edu account to view