Fire Never Dies - by Carmen Aguirre (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

What is the purpose of art in the face of fascism? Can art serve the poor? And what is the personal cost of militancy?

In Fire Never Dies: The Tina Modotti Project, bestselling author and Electric Company Core Artist Carmen Aguirre explores the intersection of art and revolution through the life of Italian photographer and activist Tina Modotti.

Modotti's story begins in 1920s Mexico City, where her art flourished and she encountered other icons of the day, including Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. However, after seven years she abandoned photography to join the antifascist cause, ultimately running the Red Aid Hospital during the Spanish Civil War. Through a dynamic blend of styles and theatrical forms, the play mirrors Modotti's struggle to reconcile passion, creativity, and political conviction as it unfolds across twenty episodes, all recalled in Modotti's final moments during a fatal heart attack in a taxi at age forty-five.

Cast of 7 diverse actors

Review Quotes

"Hugely imaginitive." --Caroline Woodward, BC BookWorld

"Fire Never Dies seamlessly blends different genres." --Elena Massing, CBC News

"Colourful, handsome and sweepingly epic." --Jo Ledingham

"Never less than compelling." --Vancouver Plays

"Engrossing ... it lets us in on the making and remaking of a revolutionary spirit." --Angie Rico, Stir