Fires in the Mirror, part six

This is the final part of Anna Deavere Smith's play, "Fires in the Mirror." Smith's dramatic technique is highly usual. She interviews hundreds of citizens and community leaders, recording their words and then composing the play as a series of fragments from these interviews. She then memorizes their exact words and intonations and performs all of the roles in a one-woman show. "Fires in the Mirror" chronicles a civic disturbance in the racially divided neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn NYC, in August 1991.

[@talitha7219]

This ending with the pictures and song is just so powerful. And what a powerful play by the talented Anna Deavere Smith. I am in tears. Rest in peace, Gavin Cato and Yankel Rosenbaum.

[@katienewville9197]

This was a creative, thought provoking and powerful way to depict the reality of these horrible events. She worked very hard to get the material for this and recreate the interviews. Conducting those interviews must have been difficult emotionally. I applaud this work of art.

[@todivetoday]

Beautiful performance! Thank you for sharing

[@thekilleravocado3836]

im so grateful that these stories and images are archived. but unfortunately, they will be eventually forgotten by time. i hope that you people seeing these can tell your friends and spread the word out.

[@christophercraig-seawright906]

Best actor of this generation.

[@auundie3508]

no, there's nothing to hide. you can repeat every word I say.

[@2bornot2b42]

Amazing theatre!!!

[@dopeterminator9174]

EEENNNNNGLLLLLIIIISSSSSSHHHHHH HOMMMMEEEEEWWWWOOOORRRRRKKKKK SQUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[@not_nathankim]

Dope Terminator oh my god, dude. You look like you're about to drop a bass...
P.S. THIRD

[@davisroberts744]

we in hereeeeee

[@LordCohliani]

Theatre 101 it’s my art elective.

[@sortatinyturtle4266]

Africana studies!

[@harison8624]

I can appreciate wanting to repeat everything from the interviews word-for-word for artistic integrity or whatever, but I can barely understand what she's saying. I can't follow it, the mock accent just takes away from the message.

[@specia80]

STFU

[@zeesolstice6526]

Super late but there is a screen play that you can read, but tbh its not that hard to understand her

[@IlaughedIcried]

The "mock accent" is the actual accent each interviewee has in real life, and therefore it's PART of the message, not "taking away from it." The point is the racial, ethnic and sociological complexity that makes up one densely populated neighborhood in Brooklyn, and how the struggles of each community built to a boiling point of conflict. Without these pieces of the picture that you seem to dislike so deeply, it wouldn't be the real story.

[@khalilahel-amin3060]

You could have turned on the closed captions.

[@JuanGarcia-wf1nt]

I really don't like this

[@IlaughedIcried]

And yet you watched all six segments. Amazing how much time you spent on something you didn't like.

[@JuanGarcia-wf1nt]

Its Gollum, wtf is this. The acting is terrible. The content is completely destroyed by the acting.

[@Mercerdaniels]

You haven't been to many places I'm guessing...

[@specia80]

Are you an actor? You must be a bad one. This is amaaaazing!

[@cookieanon7794]

She's imitating the person she interviewed.

[@MrSerotoninman]

I definitely agree. this is obnoxious