by Paula Kaplan-Reiss
I knew I had to see and review Fireflies by Matthew Barber at Shakespeare & Company. My husband just published his novel, The Fireflies this past month. What is it about these bioluminescent bugs that inspire writers? They are seen at night; they light up the sky in a mating dance; they evoke joy and mystery.
Isabel Keating as Eleanor Bannister, a retired single schoolteacher who has spent her whole life in the small town of Groverdell, Texas is in definite need of joy and mystery to spice up her mundane life. We meet Isabel in her spacious kitchen in the large home she inherited from her parents. Her good friend, and often nosy neighbor, Grace (Annette Miller) is seen examining her figs, criticizing that they have all been pecked. After noticing that Eleanor seems unsettled, Grace warns her that there is a drifter seen about town and has concern that Eleanor might be taken in by him. Grace is the kind of friend who is up on all the town gossip and has no trouble telling Eleanor what would be best for her. Eleanor does not always welcome her intrusiveness.
After a long scene firmly establishing the relationship between Eleanor and Isabel, we meet the drifter, Abel Brown (Jeb Brown). In Eleanor’s kitchen, he plays ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ on her dad’s old violin, a lovely surprise from this mysterious man who is filled with surprises. We see Eleanor’s embarrassment as she feels Abel flirting with her. She wants to shut him down; she fears trusting him. She asks if he is a conman. At the same time, we experience her growing curiosity and attraction. Brown, as Abel, has no trouble playing the confident, seductive man with a sincere, good-natured air. His presence lights up the kitchen and the stage.
Abel finds ways to be helpful to Eleanor, mowing her lawn, fixing the hole in her roof, and helping her clean her porch. At the same time, he sees her rental home, hoping to live there and renovate the property. Abel has wandered all over the country, picking up odd jobs, rarely settling anywhere for long. He may want to stay in Groverdell for a while.
By contrast, Eleanor sees her home as a tomb, as Abel suggested. While she is viewed as the most ‘respected woman in town’ as a schoolteacher, she questions what she wants out of life now. While her rental property was intended to be a honeymoon cottage for her, she wonders whether she should just be rid of it and not hang on to unrealized dreams.
As the play unfolds, doubt, mistrust, loss, desire, anger, denial, and panic attacks arise in Eleanor, culminating in Abel feeling entirely frustrated. Abel tires of trying to convince Eleanor his intentions are pure. Their chemistry is palpable.
An amusing scene plays out with Eleanor’s former student, Eugene (Gregory Boover), now a police officer, Eleanor has summoned for fear Abel has robbed her. Eleanor classifies those in her classes as either students or pupils, with pupils being much less interested in actual learning. While she saw Eugene as a pupil when he was a child, she now understands adult Eugene may no longer be worthy of that classification. She realizes people can change.
Veteran Shakespeare & Company Director Daniela Varon beautifully directs these four highly experienced actors, many of whom have a long list of Broadway credits. While Miller and Boover have been seen numerous times at Shakespeare and Company, Keating and Brown are new to this stage. All have easy command of a Texas accent, and each character feels fully developed.
The expansive 90s style kitchen is ably designed by Set Designer, Marcelo Martinez Garcia and well-lit by Lighting Designer, James McNamara. All action takes place in this kitchen with a window looking out on a cluttered porch and perfect for nosy Grace to open and check on her neighbor.
Sound Designer, Bryn Scharenberg inserts fitting country music into interludes between scenes, including Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces,” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” by the Eagles.
Costumes designed by Alicia Austin reflect a more youthful quality in Eleanor, a dowdier style in Grace, and the rugged workman strength of Abel.
Barber, the playwright, gives us a perfect play for Berkshire theater patrons of a certain age. Fireflies comes to a comfortable conclusion, replete with flickering lights, signaling joy and excitement are possible at any age. As Abel says, “Every love story has the exact same start. Two people, finally meeting.”
Shakespeare & Company presents “Fireflies” by Matthew Barber, directed by Daniela Varon, at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre from June 19- July 19, 2026. CAST: Isabel Keating as Eleanor Bannister, Annette Miller as Grace, Jeb Brown as Abel, Greg Boover as Eugene. CREATIVE TEAM: Set Designer Marcelo Martinez Garcia, Lighting Designer James McNamara, Sound Designer Bryn Scharenberg, Costume designer Alicia Austin, Stage Manager Josh Rodrigues, Assistant Stage Manager Fiona Misiura.
Runtime: 2 hours, 10 minutes with a 15-minute intermission
Performances June 19–July 19 at 2 pm and 7 pm at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Fri, Sat, Tue, Wed, Thurs at 7pm, Sun at 2pm. Tickets are $30-$88 and on sale now at shakespeare.org, or by calling the Box Office at (413) 637-3353.