[Peace-discuss] my Theater Review: “The Meeting: Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” by Jeff Stetson

Tue Mar 3 20:40:11 EST 2015

Karen,

Do you have access to a schedule for the upcoming performances ?

David J.

From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of David Green via Peace-discuss
Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2015 6:27 PM
To: Karen Medina; Peace-discuss List
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] my Theater Review: “The Meeting: Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” by Jeff Stetson

Thanks Karen. A book that is under-appreciated in this regard is by the theologian James Cone:

http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Malcolm-America-Dream-Nightmare/dp/0883448246

On Tuesday, March 3, 2015 5:21 PM, Karen Medina via Peace-discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote:

Theater Review: “The Meeting: Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” by Jeff Stetson

This past week I had the privilege to attend a stage play, “The Meeting: Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” in the theater at Champaign Centennial High School. 

The Meeting is a fictional “what if” Malcolm X and MLK met in secret? What would they talk about, argue about, agree upon; would they trust each other, would they bring gifts, would they respect each other for the gifts each gives to the world, would they talk about their death threats, their dreams, their hopes, their fears for humanity, and their personal issues? 

This play takes place more on Malcolm X’s turf than MLK’s; it takes place in Harlem. The timing is interesting too. It is the week between Malcolm X’s house being firebombed (while he and his family are inside) and Malcolm X’s assassination. The premise is that Malcolm X has invited MLK. The invitation is accepted. MLK comes all the way to New York just to see Malcolm X.  The theme song for the play is “You Don’t Know What Love Is” by Don Raye and Gene DePaul.

There are only three actors in the play. All the actors are amazing perhaps even perfect for their rolls. 

The play opens with a mixed soliloquy. Malcolm X, spotlighted stage left, is interviewed by a disembodied reporter. After each answer by Malcolm, Martin spotlighted stage right comments as if he too is being interviewed but the questions are unspoken. 

Robbins, who plays Malcolm X, delivers the calm, intelligent, reasons for African Americans to defend themselves. King’s lines are less to any particular point but are delivered by Dozier quite well in the calm, intelligent, story-telling manner of King. 

Malcolm X also speaks of his eye-opening experience in Mecca – the lines are delivered with a truly compassionate wistfulness – as if describing a completely different world than that which exists in the United States.

The soliloquies end. The conversations begin. Malcolm X and his personal body guard, Rashad, are waiting for Martin Luther King’s arrival. Again, it is Malcolm’s turf and he gets to make his thoughts very explicit. Rashad, played by McLendon, is amazing – as amazing as the other two. Malcolm awakes from having drifted off on the couch. He has had a bad dream. He speaks of his dreams, of the firebombed house, of the threats against his life. Both X and Rashad express passion for the movement.

Included throughout is an underlying theme, “What is love?” Love in all its meanings. At one point, Malcolm asks Rashad, “The first time you made love, do you remember why?” Rashad answers, “Mostly because she said yes we could.” Malcolm breaks off the conversation to call his wife to check on the family and to promise that he will spend more time with them as soon as this speaking engagement is over. “Whoa, don’t get too excited, we have enough kids already.” Malcolm and Betty had 6 daughters.  

King finally arrives. Rashad does not trust King and tries to frisk him for a weapon. MALCOLM shoos Rashad away, confident that King would not be there to kill.

The battle of words, wits, philosophies, and dreams finally begins. Punctuated by three arm wrestling events. The first discussion is about formal education vs. self-education. 

Both men are patient and carefully watching the longer threads of the conversation. Much of the play’s lines are for Malcolm. It is almost as if Malcolm is arguing with himself -- the man before the Hajj, and the man moved by what he experienced in Mecca. At times it seems that Martin Luther King is just there to witness the inner conflict. But upon close inspection, King, himself, is also experiencing that same inner conflict throughout the play, just with fewer lines. 

At one point, Malcolm says, “You have sit-ins so that we can shop there. I want us to OWN the stores.” Much later, King almost whispers as he is leaving (and I am paraphrasing here), “Sit-ins are not just for shopping rights. We will own the stores. And we will write the laws.”

Which brings us to the paper bag that King brought with him. Malcolm opens it. Inside is a doll, an obviously much-loved doll. It is a gift from King’s oldest child Yolanda to Malcolm’s oldest daughter Attallah. King says that when Yolanda saw the photo of Attallah outside their bombed home she immediately asked King to take her favorite doll to Attallah.

Mostly, this stage play is an opportunity for Malcolm X to explain himself almost entirely, from his street life to the letter X; from his self-education and dislike of institutional honors to his brilliant mind, from his dreams to his nightmares, from his knowledge that power concedes nothing to his compassion for the oppressed. 

All three of the actors are amazing. The play is very worth seeing. And discussing. 

The most brilliant part of this play at this time in this town is that the Department of African Studies has promised to do one presentation on campus a second in the community – an absolutely brilliant idea. Too bad the discussion afterwards did not show any clue of the local current events. The Black Lives Matter demonstration at Centennial High School touched the lives right there in that room. 

Malcolm X’s contributions are rarely taught in schools. My school history books ignored Malcolm X. As an anti-war activist I strongly believe that to understand even Martin Luther King we need to also learn about Malcolm X.  Malcolm X is rarely brought to life so well as in this play. 

---

Stage play: “The Meeting: Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” was written by Jeff Stetson, presented by the Department of African American Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in cooperation with The Kennie Playhouse Theater, Nashville, Tennesee. 

###

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