Upon entering the theater, we were hit with the combination of incense and light smoke wafting through the rows. All of our senses were transported into the factory that the characters of the play worked in. The production also benefited from the introduction of stage effects including fog, lights and background music, which helped set the scene of early 20th century New York.

The production opened with a series of monologues and very little conversation between characters, which made for a slow start. Then the story moved into scenes of the characters traveling from their home countries of Italy and Russia to the United States looking for a better future. However, as the characters searched for new beginnings in New York, they struggled to gain individual identities.

Many of WHSTE’s past original plays have been somewhat difficult to follow. Such was the case with “Larry Mars and his Radio All-Stars” two years ago. If you completely understood that play, please, share with the rest of us as we still don’t understand what happened. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find that “Voices From the Fire” was far easier to grasp.

Although each actor wrote their own script, many of the monologues sounded similar, and since there was little interaction between characters, many of the stories became difficult to differentiate.

At various points in the play, a photo montage illustrated the story with pictures from the true events the story was based on. This montage did a good job of giving us a clearer image of the scene despite the small use of props.

As the plotline progressed, the characters gradually seemed to become more comfortable in their new roles. With no one lead in the play, the performers slowly adjusted to having equal parts in the production.

Although many of the actors had inconsistent accents, juniors Isaac Greenawalt and Jack Case had convincing Russian impersonations.

Even though the play was not labeled a musical, it featured a few powerful singing performances, including a solo from junior Cashen Conroy, which was particularly moving.

Once “Voices From the Fire” hit its stride, it became a powerful, emotionally stirring piece, leaving many audience members in tears. If you haven’t gotten the chance to see it yet, make sure to catch it before the show ends.