The Odyssey
Theater Ensemble
The Arsonists Cast:
Mr. Gottlieb Biedermann:
Norbert Weisser
Mrs. Babbete Biedermann:
Beth Hogan
Arsonist Joe Schmitz:
John Achorn
Arsonists Billy Eisenring:
Ron Bottitta
Anna (the Maid):
Diana Cignoni
The Philosophy Professor:
Alan Abelew
The Policeman:
Cary Thompson
Mrs. Knechtling:
Chantal DeGroat
Members of the Chorus:
Chantal DeGroat
Alan Abelew
Cary Thompson
Beth Hogan
Diana Cignoni
Directed by: Ron Sossi and
Barbara Mueller-Wittman
Set Designer: Birgitte Moos
The Arsonists
continues on Page 3 --
Biedermann goes to the attic to tell Joe that he must go. He is unaware that Billy is also in the attic and the two of them are
bringing in barrels of fuel. He is shocked to find the second man there and becomes even more nervous than he already was.
It turns out Billy was a head waiter at a restaurant... before the place burned down... Even though Biederman blusters that
he is really angry about the second man and wants them gone, he is too intimidated by them to really do anything about it.
When Biedermann realizes there is a barrel of fuel in the attic he demands to know where is comes from, to which the arsonists
sarcastically reply, “I think it’s imported.” Then the canvas sheet is taken off the other barrels, sending Biedermann into a
complete panic. Even so, he asks what’s really in those drums. He reminds them that the papers are full of reports about the
arsonists and that he will call the police if the drums aren’t removed. The second arsonists, Billy, is seeing a different side of
Biedermann, and Joe keeps repeating, “He wasn’t like that yesterday.”
When a policeman arrives to tell Biedermann that his former employee killed himself by sticking his head in a gas oven,
Biederman shows no sadness at the news. The policeman asks about the drums. An uneasy Biedermann tells him that it’s his
invention of hair rejuvenator, and let’s the officer believe the two men are his employees. A new day comes and Biederman
again reads the newspaper accounts of what has happened the previous day.
As Biedermann goes to catch a taxi to go to work, the chorus states that we fail to clearly see what is happening right now,
and instead we dwell on what has already happened by reading the newspapers. They try to make him see the truth about the
barrels of fuel in his attic. He reminds them that we can’t go around thinking everyone is an arsonist, and says that he was just
about to throw them out in the middle of the night -- he couldn’t sleep because he knew it was fuel in the barrels.
Act Two
Biedermann tells his wife he is inviting the two men to dinner, telling her, “If we report them to the police we will make enemies
of them. If we invite them to dinner we will become friends.” Mrs. Biedermann then tells Anna she can’t have the night off
because they are having guests. (Just about the time you think that their characters couldn’t possibly act any more nervous,
both Beth Hogan and Norbert Weisser crank it up another notch during this second act. At the same time, Ron Bottitta and
John Achorn are cool and calm as can be. They are all simply wonderful.)
Biedermann looks on anxiously as Billy prepares the fuel drums, all the while talking about how Joe has gone out for fire lighters,
and that he isn’t sure where he left the detonator. Biedermann is not sure what to do with himself, wiping his hands on his
trousers and acting more and more intimidated by the situation. Downstairs, Mrs. Knechtling, the widow of Biedermann’s former
employee, shows up. She wishes to see him about proceeds due her for her husband’s part in the development of the hair tonic.
He ultimately ends up refusing to see her and orders her out of the house - that he will speak to her through his attorney.
Biedermann sits on one of the drums and starts to light a cigarette. Billy calmly goes about his preparations, and cautions him
that he really shouldn’t smoke in the attic. Biedermann jumps off the drum in a complete panic.
By the end of their conversation about how they can’t get proper detonators because the military doesn’t have them available
to steal yet, Billy even has a reluctant Biedermann holding the fuse cord so he can properly measure the length he needs. As
blatant as it all is, Biedermann refuses to admit the men are the arsonists. When the smell of petrol gets to him, Billy opens the
sky light so there will be fresh air in the room.
In order to conserve space,
these screencaps are quite
small, however, they are all pop-
up images that will expand when
you click on them.
After Biedermann leaves the attic, a Professor of Philosophy comes out of hiding. Billy orders him to stay in the attic and be
quiet, and to make sure no one comes in while he and Joe are at dinner downstairs. Billy questions why he is in it with him,
saying that he doesn’t trust him since his heart isn’t in it, and he doesn’t enjoy it like they do.
The chorus of firefighters appear and claim that he wears glasses because he is farsighted. Within the drums he doesn’t see
petrol -- he sees an idea. The professor goes downstairs and tells Mrs. Biedermann that it is urgent that he speak with Mr.
Biedermann. Meanwhile, Mrs. Biedermann announces that they are having goose for dinner. She is not thrilled about the idea
of having the men eat dinner with them in an attempt to win their friendship, and admits that her husband may not always be
right, but he is too kind for his own good. (She says this even though he is always yelling at her and Anna, yet treating the
arsonists with utmost kindness.) As the chorus rearranges the set for dinner, they say, “And the wind from the East is coming
up...”
Anna is busy preparing the table for dinner. Biedermann tells her he wants things plain and simple, a cozy little meal without
any pretense. He tells her he is wearing his oldest jacket, and wants all of the finery removed from the table, including the silver,
china, linen napkins, finger bowls, candlesticks, and so on. Just then, Mrs. Biedermann runs into the room in a panic and shows
him the wreath they ordered for Mr. Knechtling’s funeral. It was delivered to their home by mistake, and has “Gottleib
Biedermann, Rest in Peace” on the ribbon!
Biedermann gives Anna orders to not serve dinner, to just put it on the table, and to not wear her uniform -- to instead wear one
of his wife’s dresses. She calls him Liebe (Love), but he tells her not to call him that. When he keep ordering her around, they
start a heated argument ----
---- that leads to him grabbing her and kissing her passionately. She grabs his ass, he wraps a leg around her thighs, and
grabs her ass.... and they grind their hips against each other.
As they break apart he squeezes her
breast and reminds her (with a
perfect pause between each word)
that he “...doesn’t want things too
perfect...” She swats him on the ass
as he starts to leave, and then lunges
after him and spanks him a couple
more times as he leaves the room.
Next
Official Fansite
© www.norbert-weisser.com, 2010 This is the Official Fansite for Mr. Norbert Weisser Site Design By: JT eDesigns
Biedermann goes to the attic to tell Joe that he must go. He is unaware that Billy is also in the attic and the two of them are
bringing in barrels of fuel. He is shocked to find the second man there and becomes even more nervous than he already was.
It turns out Billy was a head waiter at a restaurant... before the place burned down... Even though Biederman blusters that
he is really angry about the second man and wants them gone, he is too intimidated by them to really do anything about it.
When Biedermann realizes there is a barrel of fuel in the attic he demands to know where is comes from, to which the arsonists
sarcastically reply, “I think it’s imported.” Then the canvas sheet is taken off the other barrels, sending Biedermann into a
complete panic. Even so, he asks what’s really in those drums. He reminds them that the papers are full of reports about the
arsonists and that he will call the police if the drums aren’t removed. The second arsonists, Billy, is seeing a different side of
Biedermann, and Joe keeps repeating, “He wasn’t like that yesterday.”
When a policeman arrives to tell Biedermann that his former employee killed himself by sticking his head in a gas oven,
Biederman shows no sadness at the news. The policeman asks about the drums. An uneasy Biedermann tells him that it’s his
invention of hair rejuvenator, and let’s the officer believe the two men are his employees. A new day comes and Biederman
again reads the newspaper accounts of what has happened the previous day.
As Biedermann goes to catch a taxi to go to work, the chorus states that we fail to clearly see what is happening right now,
and instead we dwell on what has already happened by reading the newspapers. They try to make him see the truth about the
barrels of fuel in his attic. He reminds them that we can’t go around thinking everyone is an arsonist, and says that he was just
about to throw them out in the middle of the night -- he couldn’t sleep because he knew it was fuel in the barrels.
Act Two
Biedermann tells his wife he is inviting the two men to dinner, telling her, “If we report them to the police we will make enemies
of them. If we invite them to dinner we will become friends.” Mrs. Biedermann then tells Anna she can’t have the night off
because they are having guests. (Just about the time you think that their characters couldn’t possibly act any more nervous,
both Beth Hogan and Norbert Weisser crank it up another notch during this second act. At the same time, Ron Bottitta and
John Achorn are cool and calm as can be. They are all simply wonderful.)
Biedermann looks on anxiously as Billy prepares the fuel drums, all the while talking about how Joe has gone out for fire lighters,
and that he isn’t sure where he left the detonator. Biedermann is not sure what to do with himself, wiping his hands on his
trousers and acting more and more intimidated by the situation. Downstairs, Mrs. Knechtling, the widow of Biedermann’s former
employee, shows up. She wishes to see him about proceeds due her for her husband’s part in the development of the hair tonic.
He ultimately ends up refusing to see her and orders her out of the house - that he will speak to her through his attorney.
Biedermann sits on one of the drums and starts to light a cigarette. Billy calmly goes about his preparations, and cautions him
that he really shouldn’t smoke in the attic. Biedermann jumps off the drum in a complete panic.
By the end of their conversation about how they can’t get proper detonators because the military doesn’t have them available
to steal yet, Billy even has a reluctant Biedermann holding the fuse cord so he can properly measure the length he needs. As
blatant as it all is, Biedermann refuses to admit the men are the arsonists. When the smell of petrol gets to him, Billy opens the
sky light so there will be fresh air in the room.
In order to conserve space,
these screencaps are quite
small, however, they are all pop-
up images that will expand when
you click on them.
After Biedermann leaves the attic, a Professor of Philosophy comes out of hiding. Billy orders him to stay in the attic and be
quiet, and to make sure no one comes in while he and Joe are at dinner downstairs. Billy questions why he is in it with him,
saying that he doesn’t trust him since his heart isn’t in it, and he doesn’t enjoy it like they do.
The chorus of firefighters appear and claim that he wears glasses because he is farsighted. Within the drums he doesn’t see
petrol -- he sees an idea. The professor goes downstairs and tells Mrs. Biedermann that it is urgent that he speak with Mr.
Biedermann. Meanwhile, Mrs. Biedermann announces that they are having goose for dinner. She is not thrilled about the idea
of having the men eat dinner with them in an attempt to win their friendship, and admits that her husband may not always be
right, but he is too kind for his own good. (She says this even though he is always yelling at her and Anna, yet treating the
arsonists with utmost kindness.) As the chorus rearranges the set for dinner, they say, “And the wind from the East is coming
up...”
Anna is busy preparing the table for dinner. Biedermann tells her he wants things plain and simple, a cozy little meal without
any pretense. He tells her he is wearing his oldest jacket, and wants all of the finery removed from the table, including the silver,
china, linen napkins, finger bowls, candlesticks, and so on. Just then, Mrs. Biedermann runs into the room in a panic and shows
him the wreath they ordered for Mr. Knechtling’s funeral. It was delivered to their home by mistake, and has “Gottleib
Biedermann, Rest in Peace” on the ribbon!
Biedermann gives Anna orders to not serve dinner, to just put it on the table, and to not wear her uniform -- to instead wear one
of his wife’s dresses. She calls him Liebe (Love), but he tells her not to call him that. When he keep ordering her around, they
start a heated argument ----
---- that leads to him grabbing her and kissing her passionately. She grabs his ass, he wraps a leg around her thighs, and
grabs her ass.... and they grind their hips against each other.
As they break apart he squeezes her
breast and reminds her (with a
perfect pause between each word)
that he “...doesn’t want things too
perfect...” She swats him on the ass
as he starts to leave, and then lunges
after him and spanks him a couple
more times as he leaves the room.
Next
Official Fansite
© www.norbert-weisser.com, 2010 This is the Official Fansite for Mr. Norbert Weisser Site Design By: JT eDesigns
