Vivid Stage Celebrates MLK Jr. With PRETTY FIRE

Vivid Stage will celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a special community event. On Sunday, January 18 at 2:00 pm, Vivid will co-sponsor a reading of Charlayne Woodard's play PRETTY FIRE with Interweave and Saint John's Lutheran Church of Summit. The reading will take place at Saint John's, 587 Springfield Avenue in Summit. No tickets are necessary; all are welcome.

Charlayne Woodard's autobiographical play chronicles her African-American family's experiences through three generations. The reading of this NAACP award-winning play provides an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that still exist in our society while celebrating one woman's personal triumphs.

The lyrical, lifting words of Charlayne Woodard begin weaving stories of two young sisters in the small world of Albany, New York; of Ku Klux Klan riders burning a cross—the ironic “pretty fire” of the title—in the hilltop black town of Rosignol Hill, Georgia; of three generations of family love, struggle and triumph. PRETTY FIRE is an enthralling celebration of life that takes the audience on a universal journey through a world in which the family bond is as strong as steel.

This reading is produced by Vivid Stage, Summit's own professional theater company, features Nicole Callender and is directed by Daria M. Sullivan. Discussion and refreshments will follow this 75-minute reading. We invite attendees to make a good will offering to benefit The Summit Interfaith Council Anti-Racism Committee and the NAACP. The ARC works to dismantle racism by bringing people together to learn, engage, and transform. Saint John's Lutheran Church is wheelchair accessible.