Jamar Jones (Photo courtesy Firehouse Theatre)
Anna Deavere Smith wrote “Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and Other Identities” in the aftermath of the Crown Heights riots in New York in August 1991. The riots were incited by the death of a 7-year-old Black boy, who was killed by a rabbi’s motorcade. Thirty years later, ripple effects from that event still reverberate through Brooklyn’s Black, Caribbean and Hassidic communities.
The solo play features actor Jamar Jones under the direction of Katrinah Carol. Jones shared his experience taking on the multiple roles and perspectives of this performance: “Smith has pioneered a genre of work that really pulls you in to the human experience,” he says. “It’s a challenge … to get to the core of human identity and human character.”
The play runs at the Firehouse Theatre, with some shows streaming online, through April 25, as part of its Season of Discovery. $33.
