Displaying items by tag: Rachel Blakes
Nikki Puts James Baldwin on a Pedestal in 'Giovanni | Baldwin Experience'
In 1971, Nicki Giovanni was a young Black poet already risen to prominence when she and the celebrated Black author James Baldwin met for a two hour conversation broadcast from London on PBS. Baldwin, 47, an éminence grise, answered the poet’s questions at length and Giovanni, 28, offered her own commentary as she asked a range of things, from the factual such as, why did he move to Europe, to queries on African-American creatives, writing and about the world at large - all in the context of the Black experience of life.
“The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience” at Evanston’s Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre attempts to capture the essence of that conversation, in a 90-minute world premier of the theatrical work at Evanston’s Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre. Directed by Tim Rhoze who co-authored it with Bria Walker-Rhoze, the work includes music, poetry and dance woven into the discussion, and appropriately so. Especially given that we have Nikki Giovanni (Rachel Blakes) on stage, who is poetry personified.
“To be African-American,” Baldwin tells Giovanni, and the camera, “is to be African without any memory, and American without any of the privileges.” That incisive assessment incredibly forthright for broadcast television in its time. The show was “Soul!” produced by WNET in New York from 1968 to 1973.
Baldwin told Giovanni he felt he had to go to Europe and get away from the U.S. to find his voice, but found he brought many things with him. Away from his home turf Baldwin discovered he carried along the emotional baggage born of systemic racism, one that he realized he had internalized and which imposed on him cultural constraint. “The world is not my only oppressor,” Baldin relates. “I was doing it to myself.” He offers an example of Black internalized limits on behavior. “You don’t eat watermelon or fried chicken in public.”
The conversation goes much deeper in the course of the show, touching on the role of Black churches (“The Church is always in me as a Black man,” Baldwin says), family violence, and laments the loss of Black leaders assassinated.
“What do you say when the chosen few are gone too soon?” Giovanni offers. “Whatever it was, we found a way to love through it,” she says.“We, who were enslaved, found a way to cook, to dance, to laugh”
Both Giovanni and James Baldwin (Sean Blake) talk at length, the poet mostly providing the prompts that lead to lengthy erudite, deeply reflective discourse from Baldwin - as was his wont. With sections drawn directly from the 1971 PBS video (available at YouTube), Sean Blake gives a fully realized performance when he is recounting the words of Baldwin: literary and cultivated, polished and worldly, yet rooted in his origins in Harlem, NY - his utterances salted musically with the vernacular of his birthplace. Blake’s Baldwin is completely convincing.
It is amazing on viewing the original PBS tape how consistently “The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience” represents key points from the original - yet it gives us more. Giovanni speaks up, offering her reflections on life as a Black poet - just like the original.(The show also reminds me of the Baldwin-focused staging earlier this year, “Debate: Baldwin vs. Buckley,” also based on a television encounter, this one at Cambridge in 1965.)
But the stage version also diverges, for good, though also in some ways not so much. Giovanni gives us snippets of poetry, and Baldwin on stage adopts periodically a more poetic version of himself, speaking at times in meter and rhyme - letting us know he is being influenced by Giovanni as they speak. Eventually the two are up from their chairs, and we have song and dance - the playwrights offer an imagined Baldwin, in red framed glasses voicing a hip-hop passage. It all seems natural and true, probably relying more on Giovanni in her later years for styles that arose after Baldwin was gone.
Where I felt some disappointment was in how Giovanni is portrayed as though she is lesser than Baldwin, placing him on a pedestal - where he belongs, for sure - but where she should be too. On the PBS video, she is more expressive, more self-possessed and serious, not just a foil for Baldwin the star. On stage, Giovanni becomes more of a worshipful cheerleader, interjecting “I can dig that” multiple times after an elegant and sharp monologue by Baldwin - making the performance more about him than her. To be sure, Giovanni on stage gets her words out, but on the whole seems to stand in Baldwin’s shadow.
On opening night, a lovely lagniappe was offered in a warmup before the show, as Isaiah Jones, Jr. soloed at the piano and accompanied vocalist Mardra Thomas.
“The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience” runs on weekends through November 16, 2025 at Evanston’s Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre.
PrideArts to present newly expanded version of Kayla Boye's CALL ME ELIZABETH May 8-10
01 May 2026 in Upcoming TheatreCALL ME ELIZABETH, a one-woman show about the life of Elizabeth Taylor, will be presented May 8-10 by PrideArts at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre…
At Writers Theatre, a Tech “Job” Too Toxic Shatters an Employee
24 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewA psychotherapist is held hostage by a gun-toting patient demanding he certify her as stable enough to return to work.…
Curious Theatre Branch Announces Beau O'Reilly's TALKING ABOUT GODARD, May 29 - June 28
24 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreCurious Theatre Branch, launches its 38th Season, with the revival of Talking About Godard, written by Beau O’Reilly and directed by Beau O’Reilly with Briavael O’Reilly, May…
Midsommer Flight to stage Shakespeare’s comedy AS YOU LIKE IT free in six Chicago parks June 27 – August 2
24 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFor its 13th free summer production, Midsommer Flight will present one of Shakespeare's most highly regarded and popular comedies. AS YOU…
Intuit’s New Exhibits Spark Verve Through Art
23 April 2026 in BCS SpotlightGatecrashers. That’s the term newspapers nearly 100 years ago called the works of self-taught artists when they began “crashing the…
safronia soars at Lyric Opera
22 April 2026 in Theatre in Reviewsafronia at Lyric Opera of Chicago emerges as a deeply personal story of the Great Migration - one that resists…
At Steppenwolf, Windfall Doesn’t Cash In on Its Promise
21 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewSteppenwolf Theatre Company’s, Windfall arrives with all the promise its pedigree suggests. Written by Academy Award–winning ensemble member Tarell Alvin…
Redtwist’s Sobering ‘night Mother Asks Us to Look for the Unseen
21 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewMother-daughter relationships are somehow deemed different. More seminal than the bond between a father and son. More instinctive than between…
THE GREAT GATSBY is Now Playing at Cadillac Palace
21 April 2026 in Now PlayingBroadway In Chicago is excited to announce that the smash hit Broadway musical and global sensation, THE GREAT GATSBY, based on the beloved…
AstonRep Productions to stage US Premiere of Liisa Repo-Martell's new adaptation of Chekhov's UNCLE VANYA, June 18 – July 5 at the Edge Off-Broadway Theatre
21 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreAstonRep Productions, the theatre and film production company that has produced over 30 stage productions in Chicago, has announced it…
Premiere of OUT HERE at Court Theatre a Charming Deconstruction of Marriage and Musical
20 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewEveryone encounters many crossroads in their lives, where they make a choice that determines the future…and many people live to…
Steep Theatre Celebrates May the 4th with Reading of THE MAKING
20 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreOn Monday, May the 4th, Steep Theatre will present the first public staged reading of playwright Dan Aibel's new work The…
Porchlight Music Theatre Announces its 2026 - 2027 Season
20 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatrePorchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce its 32nd season launching in September at The Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., with the…
JACKALOPE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF ANDY WARHOL PRESENTS: THE COCAINE PLAY, MAY 28 - JULY 6
20 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreJackalope Theatre Company is proud to present the world premiere of Andy Warhol Presents: The Cocaine Play, written and directed by Terry Guest, May 28…
Chicago Opera Theater presents concert world premiere of seventh Vanguard Initiative developed opera Trusted
20 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreChicago Opera Theater (COT) closes its 2025/26 season with the concert premiere of a new opera Trusted - the seventh full-length opera developed through…
Teatro Vista and Steppenwolf’s BOTH Twists Family Truths Into a Slow‑Burn Thriller
18 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewFrom the moment BOTH starts, the play demands attention. Flashing lights, sirens, and the sounds of heavy breathing build as…
Northlight’s Angel Offers Charm, Even Without Full Lift‑Off
17 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewScrewball comedy went the way of the dinosaur after the 1940s, but Northlight Theatre attempts to revive it with The…
Steppenwolf Theatre Presents Gala 2026 - Saturday, May 9, 2026 at Rockwell on the River
16 April 2026 in Theatre BuzzSteppenwolf Theatre Company's acclaimed Ensemble and Board of Trustees are pleased to host Steppenwolf Gala 2026, an unforgettable evening that continues the…
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, A New Musical arrives in Chicago for a limited engagement at the James M. Nederlander Theatre June 23–July 5, 2026
16 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreBroadway In Chicago is pleased to announce that individual tickets for the North American Tour of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS , A New Musical…
Marriott’s Heartbreak Hotel: The Rise, the Rebirth, the Return
16 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewMarriott Theatre’s Heartbreak Hotel takes on the tricky task of charting Elvis Presley’s early ascent, walking the line between the…
New Leadership on Display at Alvin Ailey Dance Theater with Alicia Graf Mack
15 April 2026 in BCS SpotlightSustaining legacy is no simple task, especially when considering the arts. How do you preserve continuity of spirit while simultaneously…
AUDITORIUM PHILMS CONCERT SERIES continues with Rocky In Concert - May 16th
15 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe Auditorium (Chicago’s landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) and The Chicago Philharmonic in association with TCG Entertainment, continue the Auditorium Philms…
Promethean Theatre Ensemble to stage Anouilh's ANTIGONE at The Den, May 31 – June 28
15 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatrePromethean Theatre Ensemble has announced it will perform the Lewis Galantiere adaptation of Jean Anouilh's ANTIGONE, from May 31 through…
Writers Theatre announces the 29-member powerhouse cast for the largest production in its history: Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt
14 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreWriters Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, concludes its 2025/26…
NSYNC SUPERSTAR JOEY FATONE TO JOIN THE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR OF & JULIET AS ‘LANCE’ FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
14 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreThe producers of & Juliet and Broadway In Chicago announced today that pop music superstar Joey Fatone will join the North American Tour company of the smash…
GEE'S BEND, playing May 23 – June 7 at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center
14 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreFleetwood-Jourdain Theatre today announced full casting and production team for its season-opening production of GEE'S BEND, the 2008 play by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, to…
Eileen Byrne brings solo play Running with Coffee to Lookingglass Theatre's lobby for 2 performances only May 16 and 17, 2026
14 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreWriter and performer Eileen Byrne brings her acclaimed one-woman play Running with Coffee to Chicago for two performances only, presented at Lookingglass Theatre Company's…
Drury Lane Theatre names Matthew D. Carney as Artistic Director
13 April 2026 in Theatre BuzzDrury Lane Theatre announces the appointment of Matthew D. Carney as its new Artistic Director. A longtime collaborator and key member of…
Definition Theatre Presents the Amplify World Premiere of Keerah
13 April 2026 in Upcoming TheatreDefinition Theatre is proud to present the Amplify World Premiere of Keerah, a quick-witted dramedy by playwright Netta Walker and directed by McKenzie Chinn. Keerah will…
WAITRESS & THE BOOK OF MORMON return to Broadway In Chicago by Popular Demand
13 April 2026 in Theatre in ReviewBroadway In Chicago is excited to announce two fan-favorite shows are returning to our stages this year: WAITRESS and THE BOOK OF MORMON. Current…
Latest Articles
-
At Writers Theatre, a Tech “Job” Too Toxic Shatters an Employee
Written by Bill EslerA psychotherapist is held hostage by a gun-toting patient demanding he certify her as stable enough to return to work. That inherently conflictual demand is the core of Max Wolf Friedlich’s “Job” at Writers Theater. It is an intriguing work.… -
Midsommer Flight to stage Shakespeare’s comedy AS YOU LIKE IT free in six Chicago parks June 27 – August 2
Written by Buzz Center StageFor its 13th free summer production, Midsommer Flight will present one of Shakespeare's most highly regarded and popular comedies. AS YOU LIKE IT, known for its witty dialogue, pastoral setting, and the strong female lead Rosalind, is one of Shakespeare's 10 most… -
Curious Theatre Branch Announces Beau O'Reilly's TALKING ABOUT GODARD, May 29 - June 28
Written by Buzz Center StageCurious Theatre Branch, launches its 38th Season, with the revival of Talking About Godard, written by Beau O’Reilly and directed by Beau O’Reilly with Briavael O’Reilly, May 29 - June 28, at Facility Theatre, 1138 N. California Ave. The opening night is Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. The performance…
-
Intuit’s New Exhibits Spark Verve Through Art
Written by Mitchell OldhamGatecrashers. That’s the term newspapers nearly 100 years ago called the works of self-taught artists when they began “crashing the gates” of the elite art world. It was then when names like Horace Pippin, Anna Mary Robertson (Grandma Moses), and…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.