Only You Can Prevent Wildfires NYC Reviews and Tickets

82%

(19 Reviews)

Positive

95%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Great staging, Great acting, Thought-provoking, Absorbing, Intense

About the Show

Ricochet Collective's world-premiere work explores the true story of Terry Lynn Barton, a former US Forest Service employee who started the largest wildfire in Colorado’s history by burning a letter from her husband.

Under the obsessive scrutiny of investigator Kim Jones, Terry's actions are called into question in a desperate attempt to uncover the motive behind her crime. As we watch Terry's relationship with her husband deteriorate over time, the clues begin to fall into place. Was the fire really an accident, or was it caused by a woman trying desperately to break free?

Member Reviews (19)

Relevant, Absorbing, Thought-provoking, Tragic, Argumentative

See it if Troubled relationships and lack of support in rural Colorado. Human breakdown leads to disaster.

Don't see it if You are looking to be uplifted. This is a cautionary tale based on real events. The menace of the fire is well done.

Absorbing, Layered, Fine acting/staging, Poignant, Semi-immersive

See it if Want to see a complex weaving of storylines inspired by a real event. This is haunting, lyrical, touching, intriguing. I loved this.

Don't see it if Want story 2 wrap up tidily. A few people were confused, due to some magical realism, but it gets you thinking, no answers at end. Read more

Critic Reviews (3)

"'Wildfires,' from its plot to its direction, is nothing short of brilliant...One of the best Off-Off Broadway shows I have seen to date, as there is so much that is just all too real happening that cannot make audiences simply sit passively...The actors are phenomenal...Everything from the music, to the changes in light makes you feel like you're interrupting this microcosm of existence, only to remind yourself that the show compels you to be as much a part of it as anyone on that stage."
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"Rivers offers a dull marital drama that’s been realized by tremendous stagecraft to no great purpose...Rivers’ treatment is uninvolving but the technical aspects are arresting, though these do not salvage the material from tedium...Barber has creatively melded all of the superior technical features into a striking if at times a sensory overloaded production...'Only You Can Prevent Wildfires' could have used less flashiness and more straightforwardness."
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"The play contains a great deal of talk, but Sherri Eden Barber, who directs and is also credited with conceiving the story, never lets the pace slacken...The performances are excellent...Ultimately, Rivers’ play doesn’t solve the 'why' of what Terry Barton did, but that’s irrelevant. It is a compelling story; a fascinating showcase for several enormously talented actors; and a credit to the Ricochet Collective."
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