James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire

Originally directed by Chuck Patterson, the first run starred Charles Reese as James Baldwin and Forrest McClendon as his counterpart, an ethereal force that takes multiple identities.

He was joined by other Black leaders, including Lorraine Hansberry, Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, Kenneth Clark, and a young Freedom Rider named Jerome Smith.

[1][2] 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 Emancipation Proclamation, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail", the murder of activist Medgar Evers, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, and the assassination of John F.

[6] The play also examines the role of the media in producing "The Sixties", using a TV screen to show a series of Civil Rights images, including James Baldwin on the cover of Time magazine.

[12] A positive review in The New York Times called the play "funny, thrilling and wise, buoyed by the passionate performance of Charles Reese in the title role".