The Substance of Fire by Jon Robin Baitz at Theatre Ariel

It’s 1991 and a coup is underway at the Geldhart publishing firm. The firm’s owner, Isaac – an orphaned Holocaust survivor who came to America and made his way up from nothing – is under siege from his own children. They think he’s crazy for trying to publish a multi-volume history of Nazi medical experiments instead of a pulpy novel sure to rake in sales. But Isaac refuses to budge as his integrity clashes with his children’s commercialism. Three years later, Isaac is still reeling from his childrens’ betrayal, the world’s seeming disdain for knowledge and literature, and the lingering trauma of the Holocaust. That’s when he is faced with his greatest challenge: proving to a court-ordered psychiatrist that he isn’t insane.

Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com