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Overview
Synopsis
On August 19, 1991, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, a Hasidic man’s car ran a red light, hit another car, and swerved onto the sidewalk killing Gavin Cato, a seven-year-old Black boy, and seriously injuring his cousin Angela. Later that night, in what appeared to have been an act of retaliation, Yankel Rosenbaum, a Hasidic rabbinical student, was stabbed and killed by members of the Black community. The ensuing riots that lasted three days wracked the previously tolerant diverse community of Crown Heights and made national headlines pointing to the ever present fiction in racial and cultural relationships across America. Drawing verbatim from a series of over 50 interviews with residents of Crown Heights as well as politicians, activists, religious leaders, and gang members on both sides, Anna Deavere Smith created a theatrical event to tell the story through the eyes of 26 of the incident’s survivors. Their voices speak to every American regardless of race, color, or beliefs. Fires in the Mirror is part of a series of solo pieces created and performed by Anna Deavere Smith entitled “On the Road: A Search for American Character” and received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show in 1993.
Show Information
- Book
- Anna Deavere Smith
- Conceived By
- Anna Deavere Smith
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1992
- Genres
- Drama, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Simple/No Set, Multiple Settings, Contemporary
- Time & Place
- Crown Heights, Brooklyn following the 1991 Crown Heights Conflict
- Cast Size
- small
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, High School, Small Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
|
Male |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A genre that dramatizes real-life events using interviews, transcripts, and factual materials.
A formal or informal meeting used in casting or academic settings to evaluate an artist's experience, goals, or fit for a program or role. Interviews may accompany auditions or applications, providing additional context for decision-makers.
A short play presented in a single act without intermission, ideal for festivals, student productions, or concise storytelling.
A form of documentary theatre that uses exact words from interviews and transcripts to portray real-life events on stage.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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