In November of 1971, two literary greats sat down for a two-hour televised broadcast on SOUL! — a variety show — to discuss religion, relationships, class, writing and the reality of being Black in America.
This conversation is detailed in The Fleetwood Jourdain Theatre’s premiere production of The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience, which opened Sunday.
Following a workshop in 2023, The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience was expanded to include new music and dance segments in addition to the acted-out conversation. The final product was a well-balanced combination of spoken word, poetry, prose, mural artwork, original music and choreography.
The performance was created and written by Artistic Director of the Theatre Tim Rhoze and Artistic Associate Bria Walker-Rhoze.
James Baldwin, played by Sean Blake, also choreographed the show. He performed alongside co-star Rachel Blakes, who plays the radiant Nikki Giovanni.
The production is co-sponsored by the Evanston Public Library. Before opening the show, Rhoze said the Library is providing 80 complimentary tickets to community members. Northwestern’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute reserved 40 seats for the opening performance.
When Rhoze took the stage just moments before the show’s opening to announce that the crew was experiencing technical difficulties, I prepared myself for a restless few minutes to follow. He then entrusted pianist Isaiah Jones Jr. with entertaining the audience, as I quickly began to understand the versatility of the company before me.
Jones took the task to heart, an expert at his craft. He played into the entrance of singer Mardra Thomas, who brightened the room with her radiant tone. This production is advertised as an all-encompassing experience, and I can wholeheartedly attest to the fact that not a second of this show passed without a spectacle to ogle at or a rhyme to appreciate.
Rhoze’s simple set is reminiscent of the original taped conversation, composed of an unimposing coffee table and a pair of chairs, granting the performers space to play, dance and connect. Their conversational spoken word is broken up most frequently by short musical numbers that augment the scripted moments. Other times, the authors venture to the edge of the stage to speak more candidly with their audience.
The nature of this staging and the show’s ever-evolving script allows viewers to see these two figures more clearly — both in relation to each other and to modern society — than the naturally one-sided nature of the original broadcast. Thanks to this adaptation’s thoughtfulness, Blake and Blakes excel and seem to delight in bringing this historical conversation to life.
The Experience, which is the final production of The Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre’s 2025 season, will run until Nov. 16. Saturday shows start at 7 p.m. and Sunday shows at 3 p.m. with a 90-minute runtime and no intermission. All tickets are general admission and $32.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the production’s sponsor and how many reserved tickets were saved for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The Daily regrets these errors.
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