By Venus Zarris

In the jubilant aftermath of last month’s presidential inauguration of Barrack Obama, one might momentarily forget the brutal historical reference of this watershed event. The issue of racial conflict was arguably, and in many respects still is, this nation’s biggest shame, crime and challenge.

Director Ann Filmer creates a striking examination of this tragic topic with her visionary rendering of Playwright Anna Deavere Smith’s Fires in the Mirror. If theater is storytelling then this is theater in the grandest order. Filmer and her remarkable cast take this powerful script, originally produced as a one-woman show, and flawlessly create a riveting ensemble piece.

In 1991, a tragic car accident set off racially explosive riots resulting in a random killing in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Deavere Smith edited several actual interviews to create a broad perspective collage of this volatile event that encapsulated some of the most salient racial and class conflicts in our society.

When first produced, the staggering versatility of Anna Deavere Smith’s brilliant one-woman embodiment of so many diverse characters almost eclipsed the perspectives themselves. Seeing this as an ensemble piece strips away that novelty and adds the theatrical voices of four outstanding actors to the voices of 26 different personal stories. Filmer makes this structural performance transition with conceptual elegance, theatrical vision and dramatic clarity.

The cast acts together as an impressively precise story telling vehicle, moving effortlessly between stylized presentational choral-work to connective representational intimate interaction. Kirsten D’Aurelio, Cheri Lynne, Caroline Rau and Miranda Zola create surprising chemistry, considering the script is comprised of individual monologues, and all display scenes of individual excellence.

You would be hard pressed to find more front and back loaded monologues delivered with more confidence and beguiling impact. The interpretations range from delicate to confrontational but all are delivered with unwavering eloquence, humor, humanity and profound truth.

Technically this show simply and impressively renders a reality that facilitates the multileveled storytelling of the unique script. Barry Bennett’s sound design stands out as a wonderful peripheral yet integral element. It beautifully sets moods while creating engaging emotional connection.

This patchwork quilt of American social impropriety is both a scathing polemic on this country’s dark dysfunction and a heartbreaking love letter to the people caught in the political, social and emotional crossfire.

These stories are not only well worth retelling but also vital to the continued progress of understanding and healing our country’s racial conflicts and this outstanding production is well worth the short trip out to Berwyn. With Fires in the Mirror, 16th Street Theater extends the locational parameters of Chicago’s theatrical excellence by delivering a powerful dramatic triumph.

4 STARS

(“Fires in the Mirror” runs through February 28 at 16th Street Theater, in the Berwyn Cultural Center, 6420 16th Street, Berwyn. 708-795-6704.) 16th Street Theater

Fires in the Mirror Production photos by Johnny Knight.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.