Wake Forest to Present One-Woman Play

Boyd is a professional actress and assistant professor of theater at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

The play focuses on the 1991 conflict that took place in the racially-polarized neighborhood of Crown Heights, N.Y. Tensions exploded after a young African-American boy was killed by a car in a rabbi’s motorcade and a Jewish student was slain by African- Americans in retaliation.

“Fires in the Mirror” is based on more than 50 interviews Smith conducted with Crown Heights’ residents, politicians, religious leaders, gang members and riot victims. Boyd portrays 20 of these characters.

Frank Rich of the New York Times described “Fires in the Mirror” as “the most compelling and sophisticated view of urban racial and class conflict…that one could hope to encounter.”

John Gulley, the director of the production, is also an assistant professor of theater at UNCG. Gulley received a bachelor of arts in theater from Wake Forest and was a visiting assistant professor at the university in 1991. Boyd is the speech coach for the upcoming Wake Forest production “The Crucible.”

Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for students and are available the day of the performance from the Wake Forest box office at 759-5295. They can also be purchased at the door. Proceeds will go to UNCG and Wake Forest theater scholarship funds.