The Fire of Freedom: The Story of Abraham Galloway at NC Stage Co.
Nearly a year to the day after embodying multiple black and white characters in the Rashomon-like Dar He: The Story of Emmett Till, gifted performer Mike Wiley returns to NC Stage Co. for its rousing 2019-20 season opener, The Fire of Freedom: The Story of Abraham Galloway.
His task this go-round is portraying solely the fiery abolitionist and future North Carolina legislator, but while the assignment means less juggling of roles than in Dar He, holding the audience’s attention for a solid hour with little more than words and gestures is no less herculean an undertaking.
More than up to the challenge, Wiley is captivating from the show’s opening minute. Based on the book by Dr. David Cecelski and adapted for the stage by Howard Craft, The Fire of Freedom centers on a pivotal moment in Galloway’s life when he stepped into the New Bern attic of freed black woman Mary Ann Starkey and attempted to convince fellow escaped slaves to join up with Union forces and take up arms against the Confederacy, using his fraught history as evidence that the cause is worthy.
Amidst the sparse set of a few chairs, trunks, and period-appropriate props, augmented by projected historical imagery and occasional sound effects, Wiley relays Galloway’s story in such a compelling manner that the proposition at hand becomes irresistible.
Opening night attendees easily tapped into the actor’s wavelength, laughing at the scattered lighthearted anecdotes and squirming with discomfort at the script’s more difficult moments. The play also includes one case of amusing audience participation — a welcome escape from the overall serious material that helps make it more palatable as a whole.
Concluding before it has a chance to become even minutely stale, The Fire of Freedom is further enhanced by the essential post-performance talkback session that accompanies each show. Theatergoers who depart without taking in the behind-the-scenes insights not only may receive a cheeky admonition from the star, but will be doing themselves a great disservice by missing out on the show’s full experience.
The Fire of Freedom: The Story of Abraham Galloway plays at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 6, with additional Saturday matinees Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 at North Carolina Stage Co., 15 Stage Lane, Asheville. For tickets and more information, visit ncstage.org.
(Photo by Chris Charles for Creative Silence)
