Fires In The Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith is lauded for its raw and compelling portrayal of racial tensions and community identity. Critics appreciate its innovative documentary-style format and the powerful, nuanced performances. Some note it can be challenging due to its fragmented narrative, but most agree it’s a profound and thought-provoking theatrical piece.

Readers who appreciate Fires In The Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith are often drawn to complex societal issues, dramatic storytelling, and ethnographic theater. Fans of works like Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 and The Laramie Project will value its poignant exploration of race, identity, and community tensions.

Fires in the Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith addresses the Crown Heights Riots of August 1991 in Brooklyn, NY, through a series of verbatim monologues taken from interviews conducted shortly after the events. The play highlights the racial tensions between the Jewish and Black communities, contextualized within broader American racial struggles, and features 29 monologues performed by Smith, portraying various real-life figures. The play includes graphic descriptions of violence and systemic racism.

Informative / Mysterious / Challenging / Contemplative / Emotional

- Fires In The Mirror is a groundbreaking example of verbatim theater, using the actual words from interviews conducted by Anna Deavere Smith with individuals involved in and affected by the Crown Heights riots.
- Anna Deavere Smith performs all 29 characters in the play, showcasing her skill in embodying diverse voices and perspectives.
- The work was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993, highlighting its impact and significance in theatrical storytelling.

**Ntozake Shange**  
A black female playwright, poet, and novelist who discusses identity as both a part of and separate from one's surroundings, highlighting how personal experiences shape identity.

**Anonymous Lubavitcher Woman**  
A white woman wearing a wig and loose-fitting clothes who finds humor in a misunderstanding about turning off a radio for religious observance.

**George C. Wolfe**  
A black male playwright known for his confident demeanor and denim attire, who examines personal identity in relation to societal constructs of blackness and whiteness.

**Aaron M. Bernstein**  
A physicist at MIT who discusses the misperceptions of scientific and literary mirrors, expecting others to understand his perspective due to their similar educational backgrounds.

**Anonymous Girl**  
A black teenager of Haitian descent attending junior high in Brooklyn, who reflects on racial identity and appearance, viewing both black and white as beautiful. 

**Reverend Al Sharpton**  
A political celebrity and activist known for his direct and unapologetic manner, speaking candidly about his influences and addressing public misconceptions about his actions.

**Rivkah Siegal**  
A Lubavitcher woman who feels conflicted about wearing wigs, which she feels hides her true self despite being a loved tradition.

**Angela Davis**  
A black author, activist, and scholar, noted for her calm and incisive critique of systemic oppression and her call for a new, dynamic understanding of race and identity.

**Monique "Big Mo" Matthews**  
A black female rapper aiming to change the narrative around women in rap by opposing objectification and asserting female empowerment.

**Leonard Jeffries**  
A black professor of African-American Studies known for controversial statements about Jewish businessmen, perceiving himself as martyred for his beliefs.

**Letty Cottin Pogrebin**  
A white author of Jewish descent and founding editor of Ms. Magazine, who worries about the overuse of Holocaust stories and the media-induced tension between black and Jewish communities.

**Minister Conrad Mohammed**  
A black minister associated with the Nation of Islam who believes in the divine chosenness of black people and condemns the historical loss of black identity.

**Robert F. Sherman**  
A resident of Crown Heights who believes that the societal inability to address bias and discrimination represents the broader American issue.

**Rabbi Joseph Spielman**  
A Lubavitch spokesperson who staunchly defends his community's actions during a Crown Heights incident, emphasizing self-funded initiatives and perceived injustices.

**Reverend Canon Doctor Heron Sam**  
A black pastor critical of certain religious figures' safety concerns and certain responses viewed as inevitable retaliatory violence.

**Anonymous Young Man #1**  
A Crown Heights resident who believes in Lifsh's alleged drunkenness and expresses skepticism about the possibility of justice in his community, leading to his arrest.

**Michael S. Miller**  
A Lubavitch community figure upset over perceived lack of reciprocal sympathy and political overtones in personal tragedies.

**Henry Rice**  
A Crown Heights resident who, despite initial reluctance, becomes involved in nonviolent efforts to protect local youths and understands their frustrations.

**Norman Rosenbaum**  
The passionate brother of a murder victim, visibly composed upon learning about his brother's death but deeply affected by it.

**Anonymous Young Man #2**  
A quiet Crown Heights resident who distinguishes between athletes and troublemakers, hinting at knowledge of events surrounding a local murder.

**Sonny Carson**  
A black activist with a strained relationship with the police, intent on revealing the ongoing racism in the black community.

**Rabbi Shea Hecht**  
A Lubavitch rabbi who believes in the Rebbe's teachings and maintains a distance from those outside his community.

**Richard Green**  
An advocate for Crown Heights youth, recognized for his powerful communication skills and empathy towards youths' anger and lack of role models.

**Roslyn Malamud**  
A Lubavitch resident of Crown Heights, detached from much of the local community turmoil, unable to comprehend ongoing racial tensions, attributing unrest to outsiders.

**Reuven Ostrov**  
A Lubavitcher youth involved in local outreach, emotionally disturbed by the occurrence of violence and misunderstanding during community strife.

**Carmel Cato**  
The father of a young black boy killed in an accident, who grapples with superstition and deep grief in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Anna Deavere Smith

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Fires In The Mirror Summary and Study Guide

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Introduction, Background, and Chronology

Fires In The Mirror Introduction, Background, and Chronology Summary & Analysis

Act I: “Identity”

Fires In The Mirror Act I: “Identity” Summary & Analysis

Act II: “Mirrors”

Fires In The Mirror Act II: “Mirrors” Summary & Analysis

Act III: “Hair”

Fires In The Mirror Act III: “Hair” Summary & Analysis

Act IV: “Race”

Fires In The Mirror Act IV: “Race” Summary & Analysis

Act V: “Rhythm”

Fires In The Mirror Act V: “Rhythm” Summary & Analysis

Act VI: “Seven Verses”

Fires In The Mirror Act VI: “Seven Verses” Summary & Analysis

Act VII: “Crown Heights, Brooklyn, August 1991”

Fires In The Mirror Act VII: “Crown Heights, Brooklyn, August 1991” Summary & Analysis

Fires In The Mirror

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