Beth Hyland premieres ‘Fires, Ohio’ at the Alliance Theatre

In Beth Hyland’s “Fires, Ohio,” wildfires are closing in on a small Ohio college town, and the family inside a professor’s house is running out of time to deal with everything else. The dark comedy, inspired by Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” is now in previews at the Alliance Theatre ahead of its March 4 opening night.

Hyland has been building toward this production for more than a decade. She first had the seed of an idea for “Fires, Ohio” in 2012, began writing it in earnest in 2019, and first heard it aloud in 2021. Now, after workshopping and revisions spanning years, the play opens at the Alliance Theatre under the direction of Marissa Wolf, artistic director of Portland Center Stage.

Hyland adapted the play from “Uncle Vanya,” elevating its supporting character Sonia to center stage. In Chekhov’s original, Sonia endures hardship and heartbreak without recourse. Hyland said she wanted something different for her: “I felt so angry for her. I felt like I wanted Sonia to kind of rebel and fight back.”