{"id":357017,"date":"2024-07-15T20:56:27","date_gmt":"2024-07-16T00:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=357017"},"modified":"2024-07-15T20:56:27","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T00:56:27","slug":"2024-capital-fringe-review-black-smoke-showing-stories-of-african-american-firefighters-by-nick-baskerville-4-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2024\/07\/15\/2024-capital-fringe-review-black-smoke-showing-stories-of-african-american-firefighters-by-nick-baskerville-4-stars\/","title":{"rendered":"2024 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Black Smoke Showing: Stories of African American Firefighters’ by Nick Baskerville (4 stars)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"F<\/span>irefighter Nick Baskerville\u2019s solo production of Black Smoke Showing<\/em>\u00a0ignites a fire of curiosity about Black firefighters with an engaging storytelling mix of comedy, candid commentary, and charisma.<\/p>\n

The show blends historical events and personal narrative. For example, Baskerville cleverly pairs sharing his research about Molly Williams (recognized as the first Black woman firefighter) with spending an afternoon connecting with his daughter.<\/p>\n

\"\"We learn about the Freedom House Ambulance Service that served the predominantly Black community known as the Hill District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Ambulance Service was staffed solely by a cadre of African Americans who were trained to deliver emergency medical treatment on-site and en route to the hospital, making it the first paramedic program in the world. And we learn what happened when the city took it over.<\/p>\n

Baskerville is a poised and charming storyteller, one obviously comfortable on the stage. He brought events to life with contagious cheer, wordplay, and occasional jokes. Moreover, his relaxed candor about race and the challenge of racism is noteworthy.<\/p>\n

There were a few kinks. The pacing was affected by exchanges with the audience. On the other hand, Baskerville\u2019s ease with us made for an intimate experience.\u00a0 There was also confusing misnaming of one of the luminaries. Baskerville corrected himself when he realized it. Both those are minor details in an otherwise stellar Fringe debut.<\/p>\n

When you first sit down to listen to Baskerville share stories about trailblazers like John Moon or Molly Williams, you might be tempted to wonder about the stakes for him and for the audience.\u00a0 But the stakes and the relevance of the stories to today are clear by the end of the show. Baskerville desperately wants to avoid allowing the \u201cfirsts\u201d for a specific contribution or role in fire service to be forgotten or overlooked any longer. He needs to share his knowledge (and correct misinformation) about the contributions of African American firefighters and organizations such as the\u00a0African American Fire Fighters Historical Society<\/a>, both to preserve a legacy and to inspire a new generation of brave African Americans to follow in his footsteps.<\/p>\n

Baskerville performed this show because his passion for firefighting and sharing his knowledge about Black firefighters makes him happy.\u00a0 Thus, it\u2019s the perfect show to embody the theme of this year\u2019s Fringe Festival, which is Happy. I\u2019m happy I saw it.<\/p>\n

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Running Time:<\/strong> 75 minutes
\nGenre:<\/strong> Solo\/Comedy
\nDates and Times:<\/strong><\/p>\n