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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 2018)
October 10, 2018 Page 3 INSIDE The Week in Review This page Sponsored by: page 2 pages 8-11 Arts & Photo by D ana l ynn b arbar /t he P ortlanD o bserver Actor Seth Rue (left) and director Bobby Bermea tackle issues of race and class in the groundbreak- ing, one-person play ‘Fires in the Mirror’ from Portland’s Profile Theater and showing Oct. 10 through Oct. 21 at Artists Repertory Theatre, downtown. ENTERTAINMENT On Race and Class Portland Profile Theater tackles a divided nation M ETRO page 9 page 16 F OOD C ontinueD on P age 4 Amazon Hiring 2,000 Workers pages 12-13 O PINION C LASSIFIEDS by D ana l ynn b arbar t he P ortlanD o bserver At a time in our nation when there is much divi- sion, giving a theatrical voice to the diversity in our humanity is a great way to start Portland’s Profile Theatre current new season which focuses solely on female and person-of-color playwrights, led by a lo- cal black actor and director of color. “Fires in the Mirror” is a groundbreaking theater production that gives voice to the people directly im- pacted or involved in the unrest that ensued in Brook- lyn, N.Y. after a racial and religious tragedy. Based on true events, the play follows the tension that oc- curred in 1991 when an African-American child was hit and killed by a car in a rabbi’s motorcade and a Jewish man was slain in retaliation. The one-person play stars Portland actor Seth Rue, who transforms himself into multiple real-life witnesses to the Crown Heights riots. The show is directed by another local favorite, Bobby Bermea. “Fires in the Mirror” was written by Anna Deavere Smith, an African American actress, writer and edu- cator who has dedicated her career to exploring the intersection of art and social justice. In 1992, Deavere Smith performed the lead role in a trailblazing form of storytelling theater that es- tablished her as a force in the playwright world. She interviewed many people connected to the Crown Heights events, among them the Afro-Caribbean community, the Lubavitcher Jewish community, and civil rights activists including Rev. Al Sharpton and Angela Davis. Smith turned her interviews into a script and per- formed them as a one-woman show, offering a full and complex view of the unrest. Profile Theatre presents the play for 10 days only, from Friday, Oct. 12 through Sunday, Oct. 21 on the Morrison Stage at the Artists Repertory Theatre, downtown. Rue, a local actor known for his role in the TV pages 14 Amazon announced Tuesday it will start hiring for more than 2,000 seasonal and full-time roles for its customer fulfillment cen- ters and delivery facilities around Portland. The online retailer said it ex- pects to make hundreds of on-the- spot job offers and hopes these positions can be the start of a long career at Amazon. The company said job candidates can walk in, apply and receive a job offer on the spot at a hiring event or ap- ply online at amazon.com/port- landjobs. One of the hiring events takes place Thursday, Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Am- azon Fulfillment Center Staffing Office, 1250 N.W. Swigert Way in Troutdale. A recently announced Amazon $15 minimum wage will apply to all hourly associates on top of Amazon benefits, which apply to full-time, part-time, and seasonal associates, officials said. Appli- cants must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent.
