BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2007
Down from the Mountaintop:
A solo performance on the life of James Baldwin
Thursday, February 15
SSU Warren Auditorium at 8:00 p.m.
Free to SSU Students, Staff & Faculty
$10.00 General Admission
(SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY) JAMES BALDWIN - DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP depicts the rich and impassioned life of the esteemed novelist, playwright, essayist and civil rights activist James Baldwin on Thursday February 15 at 8 pm in Warren Auditorium. Tony Award nominee Calvin Levels' spirited portrayal of Baldwin has garnered rave reviews throughout the United States, captivating and inspiring diverse audiences. Mr. Levels' play insightfully captures the spirit and essence of James Baldwin, powerfully communicating Baldwin's main messages of love, equality and social justice.
JAMES BALDWIN - DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP traces the fervent life of this American writer recognized for his novels on sexual and personal identity, along with his works of nonfiction, plays and essays on human rights. Baldwin returns from the ethereal realm intent on providing an insecure actor with the insight necessary to portray him. He recounts various topics about his life which include his early childhood growing up in Harlem as a prodigious reader; to his first sexual experiences and love affairs; to his relationships with his mentor and friend Beauford Delaney, along with his idol Richard Wright; leaving America and moving to Paris; publishing his works, including Go Tell It On The Mountain and Giovanni's Room; friendships and rivalries with the likes of Marlon Brando, Lorraine Hansberry, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Langston Hughes; his sour relationship with the Actors Studio; his association with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and the civil rights movement; up until his death at his home in the South of France.
"Calvin Levels is marvelous in his role as James Baldwin in this powerful play. Please do not miss it!" - Cornel West
"Levels...has a hypnotic power that creates a revival fervor..." - Los Angeles Times (Critic's Choice)
This performance is for one night only and is free for Sonoma State University students, staff and faculty and only $10 for the general public. Group rates are available.
"Down from the Mountaintop" is brought to you by Associated Students Productions, Center for Gender, Culture and Sexuality, SSU Student Union and the Student Affairs Division. For more information about this and other ASP events, please call 707-664-2382 or visit us on the web at www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
