Tony Award-nominee Calvin Levels will perform his critically-acclaimed solo play “James Baldwin: Down from the Mountaintop” on Saturday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall. The play is the culmination of “Contemplating James Baldwin: Language, Courage and Tenderness,” a week-long symposium on the life and works of the celebrated writer and activist taking place April 13 through 19 at Carleton. The not-to-be-missed performance is free and open to the public, but tickets are required.
In “James Baldwin: Down from the Mountaintop,” playwright and actor Calvin Levels captures the twists and turns of Baldwin’s rich life and career—from his childhood in Harlem; to his work as a fiery 14-year-old minister; to his first love affairs and sexual experiences; to his collaboration with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, Medgar Evers and other prominent members of the civil rights movement; to his death at age 63 at his home in the south of France. The work highlights a number of other episodes that shaped Baldwin’s career, including his tumultuous relationship with his idol, writer Richard Wright; the publication of his first novel Go Tell It On The Mountain and his friendships and rivalries with the likes of Langston Hughes, Marlon Brando, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, and William Faulkner.
Levels’ intimate work presents Baldwin in spirit form, having returned to earth to “set the record straight” on his oft-debated career as a writer who wrestled with issues of sexual and racial identity. The Baldwin character addresses the audience directly and passionately, recounting the events that shaped his life and legacy. Levels has performed “James Baldwin: Down from the Mountaintop” at over 50 venues across the United States. The Los Angeles Times raved that the work “has a hypnotic power that creates a revival fervor … Levels insightfully brings to light his subject’s rare and admirable qualities.”
“James Baldwin: Down from the Mountaintop” is the latest in Level’s long acting and writing career, which includes film appearances in “Johnny Suede,” co-starring Brad Pitt; “Convicts,” with James Earl Jones and Robert Duval, and in CBS mini-series “The Atlanta Child Murderers.” His stage career has included appearances at Lincoln Center Theater and The Music Box Theatre on Broadway. Levels was awarded the New York Theater World Award for New Talent, and has been nominated for a Tony Award and the Outer Critic Circle Award for “Best Actor.” Most recently, he was honored for his contribution to James Baldwin’s legacy by the National James Baldwin Literary Society.
Tickets for the performance may be obtained at River City Books, 306 Division Street in Northfield, or by calling (507) 222-4141 to make a reservation. Reservations may also be made online at http://go.carleton.edu /baldwin/.
Contemplating James Baldwin: Language, Courage, and Tenderness” is made possible by the 2008 Bryn-Jones Distinguished Teaching Professorship in the Humanities Program. The event is co-sponsored by the Carleton College Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching, with major funding from the Mellon Faculty Life Cycles Grant as well as many other campus departments and organizations. For a detailed description of the entire symposium, visit http://go.carleton.edu/baldwin/.
