FIRE!
Playwright Jenifer Nii has previously premiered her plays THE AUDACITY, “Influencer” as part of RADIO SLAM, THE WEIRD PLAY, “Damned If I Do” and “Spam” as part of (IN)DIVISIBLE, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, RUFF!, “PDA,” “Whiplash,” and “Control_Alt_Delete” as part of SLAM, SUFFRAGE, THE SCARLET LETTER, and FIRE! (under the umbrella WALLACE) with Plan-B.
In the fall of 2021, Jenifer was diagnosed with hippocampal atrophy: portions of her brain are calcifying. She is no longer able to write plays and is slowly losing her memory and ability to communicate.
FIRE! is a play for now, connecting two Utah writers of color separated by a century, the careers of both cut tragically short. Revisiting Jenifer’s first work as her final Plan-B production is a fitting farewell to a barrier-breaking writer in conversation with and celebration of another.
In addition to launching Jenifer’s playwriting career, FIRE! provided Carleton Bluford the unique opportunity to inhabit a character who faced many of the challenges he also faced growing up Black in Utah. This serendipitous fusion of actor and role gave Carleton the confidence to view himself as an Actor with a capital A, as well as sparking his own playwriting career.
In 2010, FIRE! focused on the power of this place we call home. In 2023, the play comes full circle, insisting that kindred spirits Jenifer Nii and Wallace Thurman claim their space in Utah history through the power of Carleton Bluford’s singular performance.