Fire and Ice by Emily Russell

In the rugged Icelandic landscape, an American human rights researcher meets an Icelandic local in a geothermal hotspring. The two discuss and navigate the complex dynamics of globalization, which has brought environmental harm to much of Iceland's natural lands as well as brought people from around the world together. The short play hinges on taking a plunge — into the cold, the unknown, and the unlikely.
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Fire and Ice

Recommended by

  • Chelsea Frandsen:
    23 Mar. 2021
    “ Emily Russell has a gift for language, and she is able to pack so much into this short piece. Ella's transformation from her interaction with Ilmu is fascinating, poetic and heartfelt. ”
  • John Mabey:
    17 Jan. 2021
    “ I watched this play as part of an online play series and it was so gripping and well-written. The explorations of what it means to be from a place and the ways in which we do/don't belong to it were especially meaningful, too. And the stage directions were so poetic they really created a vivid world. ”
  • Jack Levine:
    10 Dec. 2020
    “ EMILY RUSSELL’s play is a fascinating philosophical discussion of how an individual can and should become ‘in touch’ with a different land, culture, and tradition. When we come to a country as a tourist, our mind is filled with visions of things. To truly become a part of a country, one needs to immerse themselves In the country’s ways of doing things. I love how the sea is described. “Fire and Ice” is a well-written play. ”
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Character Information

  • Ilmu
    18-30,
    White
    ,
    Male
    Ilmu is Icelandic. This character should be played by someone who is Scandinavian. He is adventurous and introspective.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Ella
    18-30,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    Ella is American. She is a researcher, so should be scholastic, introspective, and conscientious. She is also curious, adventurous, and defensive. She should seem bookish.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Dragon Productions Theatre Company
    ,
    2021
  • Reading
    ,
    Theatre Unmasked (Virtual)
    ,
    2020
  • Reading
    ,
    University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
    ,
    2019
  • Workshop
    ,
    Blank Space Workshop
    ,
    2019