‘Burn This’ Review: A Good-But-Not-Great Exploration of Loss, Love, and Longing

According to Hub Theatre Company of Boston, “If it doesn’t set your soul on fire, it isn’t worth the burn!” The remark frames their currently-running production, “Burn This.” The play features fiery characters who engage in fiery behavior, but it does not provide the spark sufficient to fire a person’s soul. “Burn This” isn’t bad, but it’s a bit too mild for such a hot statement.

In Lanford Wilson’s contemporary drama, former dancer Anna (Kiki Samko) grieves the loss of a friend, navigates thorny relationships, and struggles to figure out her personal and professional life. Directed by Daniel Bourque, Hub Theatre’s production is emotional but not moving, energetic but not captivating, and passionate but not powerful. “Burn This” seeks to probe weighty facets of life — loss, love, and longing — but the actors do not achieve the necessary complexity to do so.

In “Burn This,” Bourque cultivates unique relationships between characters, which is essential for a play about everyday people. Most of the individual characters are unremarkable, but the connections and tensions between them are assets to the play, aside from deficient chemistry between lovers. Through distinct and deliberate interactions, the actors provide insight into the story and its characters beyond the dialogue. Consistent across the entire show, this strength is clearly a testament to Bourque’s direction.

While “Burn This” is satisfactory, it is not impressive. For a simple play with a simple plot, it succeeds at establishing high stakes and creating a dynamic story. However, crucial aspects of the show fall short of excellence. A play with four characters in only one room requires great depth and creativity, but Hub Theatre’s production suffers from actors whose performances remain at the surface.

In her leading role, Samko gives a decent performance, but she lacks compelling emotional range. Without smooth transitions between plot twists and tonal shifts, Anna’s character development — in individual scenes and throughout the entire play — seems contrived and unconvincing. The role calls for displays of internal struggle, tangled romance, and profound mourning. While the dialogue conveys these ideas, Samko does not bring them to life.

Universally, the cast’s performances feel unnatural. An introspective play like “Burn This” relies on characters’ authenticity, but Hub Theatre’s actors overperform. Their characters feel artificial, which prevents the audience from becoming invested in their feelings, experiences, and growth. The occasional sound effects don’t help: Obtrusive, unrealistic noises playing from a speaker to the side remind the audience that they are spectators of a purely fictional performance.

Despite the play’s overarching melodrama, Steve Auger (Larry) delivers a standout performance as Anna’s roommate. In a word, he’s funny — which adds refreshing laughs and bittersweet layers to the play’s exploration of grief, fear, and self-doubt. Auger commits to tastefully animated physical comedy, amusing line delivery, and terrific comedic timing. He gives the same care and attention to Larry’s compassionate and tender moments, which affirm his role as the show’s most compelling character.

“Burn This” also benefits from inventive visual design. In an intimate black box theater, scenic designer Justin Lahue immerses the audience inside Anna’s warehouse-like apartment, with a white-walled kitchen on one side, white stairs on the opposite side, a living room in the center, and a white stripe painted on the other two walls. Lighting design by Emily Bearce includes hanging bulbs that change color and brightness throughout the play in coordination with emotional changes. The actors shift between moods with mediocrity, but the lighting design adds valuable support, while also bringing a beautifully fanciful element to a quotidian story.

Ultimately, Hub Theatre’s production of “Burn This” is adequate, but not outstanding. With a two-hour run time, its merely fair quality does not justify its long duration — if anything, it makes the play feel even longer. Avid fans of contemporary drama may enjoy “Burn This,” but other audiences will likely desire a more comprehensively striking experience.

Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s production of “Burn This” runs at the Boston Center for the Arts’s Plaza Black Box Theatre through April 21.

—Staff writer Vivienne N. Germain can be reached at vivienne.germain@thecrimson.com.