SIUE Black Theater Workshop’s “From Jimmy, To America: An Ode to James Baldwin”
The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Theater and Dance, Black Theater Workshop (BTW), Black Studies Program, and Arts & Issues series presented three productions of the NU-World Contemporary Danse Theatre’s “From Jimmy, To America: An Ode to James Baldwin” Feb. 11-13 in SIUE’s Metcalf Theater.
“Hosting the Nu-World Contemporary Danse Theatre for this year’s Black Theatre Workshop was a tremendous experience for both BTW students and their audiences,” Kathryn Bentley, associate professor in the Department of Theater and Dance and director of the Black Studies program and the IMPACT Academy. “The production was creatively conceived and beautifully performed. It left audiences in awe of the exquisitely talented dancers, the power of Baldwin’s words, and the timeliness of the message. I am beyond grateful that we were able to embark on this collaboration.”
The production, devised in artistic collaboration with Jacqueline Thompson, Bashir Page-Sanders and Christopher Page-Sanders, was inspired by the life, words and work of James Baldwin and centered around the contemporary view of the Black Experience. Separated into three movements, “From Jimmy to America: An Ode to James Baldwin” brought to the light themes of self-identity, sexuality, and racial equity in which richly complex and nuanced words became life and moving art.
Although Baldwin may have been speaking of 1960s America, in 2022, all of his concerns with America and the treatment of people of color in America still ring true. With a varied score featuring music that ranged from classical to jazz, gospel to hip-hop, and everything in between, the spirit of James Baldwin lived in this production as actors and dancers explored these topics together.
The live-streamed performances concluded with a brief post-show discussion featuring the choreographers, dramaturge, and artists as well as other community liaisons.
Visit the SIUE Department of Theater and Dance’s YouTube channel to watch the Feb. 12 recording.
This program was partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and Arts Midwest through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Photo: NU-World Contemporary Danse Theatre Dancers.
