“GOOD FAITH” CENTERS ON THE LEGAL ACTIONS OF THE NEW HAVEN FIRE DEPARTMENT

ROB DEMERY, LAURA HEISLER, BILLY EUGENE JONES AND IAN BEDFORD IN "GOOD FAITH"

PHOTO BY CAROL ROSEGG

How many little boys, and possibly even little girls, grew up dreaming of becoming a fire fighter. To save buildings and property, to rescue families and pets, and to risk your own life in the dangerous process, is the true definition of a hero.  What happens when that life affirming water coming from the fireman’s hose is muddied by controversy and race becomes an issue?  

Take the case of twenty men, nineteen white men and one Hispanic, who sue the city of New Haven over discrimination.  A test for promotion in 2003 was thrown out by the city when no blacks scored high enough to earn the ranks of Lieutenant or Captain.

The Yale Repertory Theatre commissioned a powerful and fascinating imaginative retelling of the disturbing situation as a world premiere play by Karen Hartman, “GOOD FAITH Four Chats about Race and the New Haven Fire Department” lighting fires of conversation until Saturday, February 23.

Laura Heisler is the narrator and writer of the tale who takes the audience along as she conducts interviews with many of the major participants in the landmark lawsuit.  She reflects back from the years 2015 and 2017 to the pertinent issues that divided the firemen and the city.

We meet a trio of firemen, Mike (Billy Eugene Jones), Tyrone (Rob Demery) and Frank (Ian Bedford) who  defined the issues and stated their cases for what happened.  Frank, with dyslexia, was named in the suit while Mike and Tyrone were two of the black men who also claimed discrimination for the way the exam was scored, making it harder for them to qualify for advancement. Mike later filed a lawsuit but subsequently dropped it. Frank Ricci felt his good scores should have earned him a promotion but didn’t because the city threw out the test and its results.

With Rene Augusen’s portrayal of Attorney Karen Torre fighting for the firemen, the case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. The play looks back, years after the suit was settled, through interviews and conversations with the principals involved, the "four chats" in the Greek Olive Diner, a classroom, on a boat at the Thimble Islands and in Frank's office. Follow the action as director Kenny Leon oversees the long term effects of merit and promotion.

For tickets ($31-96), call the Yale Rep, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven at 203-432-1234 or online at www.yalerep.org.  Performances are Tuesday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Based on true events, come review, years later, the momentous decisions about our country’s first responders as they were decided and history was changed forever.