Imagine……a secret date……a secret place…….a secret meeting.
Imagine……Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ………….Malcom X.
Imagine……Talking……..subject……..Civil Rights Movement.
This is the place the Ensemble Theatre took us to with their current production of Jeff Stetson’s play – The Meeting. This play has been performed to many audiences across the U.S. and several other countries on several continents over the past 30 years. It has finally arrived to Houston. I was excited when I saw it in the 2013-2014 season line up for the Ensemble Theatre and the production dates were perfect to make it a part of my African-American History celebration for February. Of course, I gathered a few of my girlfriends to attend with me.
We were surprised to learn the play was only 75 minutes long without an intermission. However, after experiencing those dynamic 75 minutes, we understood the reason. The dialogue of this play was so intense and mesmerizing that any break in the flow of words would have been inappropriate. The actors Jason Carmichael (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) and Mirron E. Willis (Malcolm X) clothed themselves in the essence of these great men and delivered a portrayal that effectively captured the brilliance, dedication and fortitude that each brought to a struggle that impacted their people and their country. Even though there were vast differences in their approach to the civil rights struggle, we were able to glimpse the similarities in the hearts of these men through the rendering of the playwright and the performance by these wonderful actors.
It is an urban legend that a meeting was planned between these great leaders but Malcolm X was assassinated the week before the scheduled date. I believe that if it had happened it would have been just as it was in this play. If you are in or near Houston, please gather up the young people in your sphere and take them to the Ensemble Theatre to witness African-American history in motion.
QUESTION(S):
Are you a history buff?
What do you imagine Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X would have discussed?
