An original stageplay by Boulder’s own Curtis K. Rogers.

13 Fires tells the story of Indiana Avenue—once a thriving Black cultural mecca in Indianapolis. The Avenue was alive with jazz clubs, Black-owned businesses, and legendary performers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. It was also home to Madam C.J. Walker, whose success symbolized the power, creativity, and resilience of the community that built the neighborhood.

But this vibrant district did not disappear by accident.

13 Fires recounts how a city was taken under the promise of “progress.” When the university now known as IUPUI expanded into the area, property was systematically bought up and the neighborhood was dismantled. Through the threat of eminent domain, redlining, and sharply rising property taxes, families who had built a flourishing Black community were pushed out and relocated into substandard housing.

The homes they were forced into were never meant to sustain life—but the people endured.
Through intimate family moments, memories of the Avenue’s golden era, and the painful reality of displacement, 13 Fires explores the human cost of so-called progress. The play confronts themes of economic inequality, systemic injustice, and the ways vulnerable communities are often sacrificed in the name of development.

At its heart, 13 Fires is a story about memory, survival, and the enduring spirit of a people whose culture and legacy continue to burn brightly despite attempts to erase them.