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After the meeting, Baldwin said: "we were a little shocked by the extent of his naivete." Baldwin reported that
Kennedy did not understand the situation of Black Americans and that Kennedy had laughed at Jerome Smith's suggestion that the Attorney General might personally escort Black students into
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calls for two actors. One plays James
Baldwin; the other plays Ethereal, a figure in dialogue with Baldwin who assumes the form of many people, including Hansberry, Belafonte, Horne, Clark, Smith and also an "everyman" lover of Baldwin's named Peter. In the original theatrical run Charles Reese
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In a central monologue, Baldwin asks: "What shall I wear to meet the
Attorney General?" Baldwin must negotiate between political efficacy with America's white elite, the call of black radicalism and also a personal life—troubled by Peter—which interferes with both.
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magazine. With an image of the real James
Baldwin on the TV screen, the character of Baldwin delivers a monologue on the conflict brewing in America. His speech begins: "The war is on Muthafucka and something's going to burn; something's going to burn down..."
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In 2011, Charles Reese published a book including the play and commentary. The
National James Baldwin Literary Society has celebrated and promoted the book, whose release in 2012 coincides with the 25th anniversary of Baldwin's death.
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writes: "s a
Baldwin friend and biographer, I can attest to the accuracy of Simon's imagination and, as one who has seen the play, to Reese's interpretation of Simon's vision."
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called the play "funny, thrilling and wise, buoyed by the passionate performance of
Charles Reese in the title role". Baldwin biographer (and former secretary)
54:. It was written by Howard Simon and first performed in 1999. Originally directed by Chuck Patterson, the first run starred Charles Reese as James Baldwin and
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In an afterword to the 2011 text, Reese explains the particular importance of this moment in 1963 by referencing such events as the 100th anniversary of the
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Theatre in New York. The show was then performed four times at the Raw Space, also in New York, on April 9, 2000; it then began an
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The play uses themes from throughout
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in the United States. The setting is
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The play is set in
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The Charles Reese Experience and Glover Lane Press Publish 'James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire'
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to discuss the future of civil rights. He was joined by other Black leaders, including
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Theatre. Howard Simon died during rehearsals for the Broadway performance.
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as his counterpart, an ethereal force that takes multiple identities.
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Solet, Sue. "Negroes shocked by Robert Kennedy's 'naivete'."
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The play also examines the role of the media in producing "
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played Baldwin, and Forrest McClendon played Ethereal.
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James Baldwin Literary Society hosts Birthday Tribute
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is an American stage play about author and activist
81:On May 24, 1963, American writer and activist
294:, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003,
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510:. Sherman Oaks, CA: Glover Lane Press, 2011.
194:took place on February 6, 1999, at the
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547:of Charles Reese on a WBAI radio program.
576:Civil rights movement in popular culture
357:Glimpsing James Baldwin on the Precipice
244:Civil rights movement in popular culture
502:. Edited by Charles Reese. Foreword by
290:Giglio, James N., and Stephen G. Rabe,
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465:Teeth & Eyes Communications. "
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25:Charles Reese (James Baldwin) and
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571:Biographical plays about writers
130:assassination of John F. Kennedy
292:Debating the Kennedy Presidency
586:Plays about race and ethnicity
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539:James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire
192:James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire
116:, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "
47:James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire
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500:James Baldwin: Soul on Fire
469:". PRLog. January 21, 2012.
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118:Letter from Birmingham Jail
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403:(2011), p. 12, 14, 22.
268:Remembering Lena Horne
69:with Attorney General
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39:New Federal Theatre
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219:The New York Times
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77:Historical context
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508:Forrest McClendon
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355:De Witt, David. "
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250:References
128:, and the
99:Lena Horne
271:Archived
255:Endnotes
238:See also
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178:" and "
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