Things That Burn Easily is a contemplative dystopia about loss and burning, both the concrete, thematic, and symbolic one, which equally explores the ecological reality we, as a society, find ourselves in—namely, the reality of global warming, fires, and other natural disasters that are increasingly present in our lives. It also addresses the most fundamental mechanism of human survival in crisis situations. The play attempts to understand the mechanisms of oppression and fear from which violence and alienation arise in such situations, as well as the systems of organization in a dysfunctional and greedy society that are created precisely by individuals who have undergone such experiences.

Narratively, Things That Burn Easily follows a small piece of land, far from the larger civilization and city, where people live under relatively modest conditions, affected by a natural (but also human) catastrophe. Aside from considering the irreparable injustice that has befallen them, some people believe there should be a system of accountability that will at least partially compensate for these consequences. Or, if nothing else, a space of solace to share with other community members. Others, however, do not believe in this. Their skepticism shapes the strict boundaries of a world where every other individual is a potential threat. The only reliable security comes from isolation from others, withdrawing from more complex social systems, and autonomously building their survival mechanisms. These two principles, alienated and networked, fundamentally exclude each other. When a new great threat appears on the horizon, its entire tragedy will escalate into the unbearable incompatibility of opposing actors affected by it.

This work was realized as part of the project Stronger Peripheries: A Southern Coalition, which was co-financed by the European Union's Creative Europe program and supported by the City of Zagreb, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, and the Kultura Nova Foundation.