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

[Karen Medina]

They were visiting. Are gone now. But perform other places.
On Mar 3, 2015 7:40 PM, "David Johnson" <davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net>
wrote:

> 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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