Epic Theatre Co Kicks Off Eighth Season with FIRES IN THE MIRROR

Epic Theatre Company begins its eighth season this September with Anna Deavere Smith's Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and Other Identities which will kick off a season that concludes a three-year examination of power in America.

"We've had the pleasure of producing three of Anna Deavere Smith's docudramas," says Epic Artistic Director Kevin Broccoli, "First with Let Me Down Easy and then with House Arrest. She elevates the voices of people from all walks of life and from every corner of the nation. Although Fires in the Mirror is about two acts of violence that happened nearly thirty years ago, the issues the residents of Crown Heights face in this play are ones people in America face everyday. As we approach the ending of a three-season series that began with a look at Truth to Power and followed into Conviction, I'm so excited that we've reached a season that will examine The Power of the Truth--along with its costs and consequences." Originally produced as a one-person play written and performed by Deavere Smith, Fires in the Mirror is made up of transcripts edited from interviews about the Crown Heights riots of 1991. Residents of Crown Heights, as well as religious leaders, academics, students, and prominent American figures all contribute to an expansive and engaging conversation about what makes up a community, what sparks violence, and what a neighborhood looks like at its breaking point.

Broccoli directs a cast of fifteen actors, including Angelique Dina, Rebecca Maxfield, Rudy Ru, Kathleen Povar, Jomo Peters, Alexis Ingram, and many more.

"What strikes me about this play is how closely it looks at what it means for people of different backgrounds to co-exist in small spaces," says Broccoli, "It's about disenfranchised communities being pitted against each other by outside forces. It's about tribalism. It's about media frenzy. When I first chose the show, I worried that it would seem dated, but something about it felt urgent. It felt like we needed to be talking about the things that the people Deavere Smith speaks with are talking about. I think when you see the show, you'll see that thirty years is a heartbeat in American life."

Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and Other Identities runs from September 13th - 28th and will be presented at the Artists' Exchange located at 50 Rolfe Square, where Epic Theatre Company is the resident theater company.

For tickets, go to www.artists-exchange.org/events or e-mail Info@EpicTheatreRI.org

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